Solomon Prepares & Builds The Temple

I’m excited that today we get to go over the temple. The post is a little longer than I usually have for Sundays, but chapters 4 & 5 are really short, and then there is 6, which I wanted to make sure you had details about the temple. Hopefully, you enjoy learning about the temple as much as I did. 🙂

Today’s Reading: Chapters 4, 5, 6   

Solomon’s Administration is listed from 1 Kings 4:01-19 various people and roles they had. 

Solomon’s Richness In The Land 

Verses 20 to 34 in Ch. 4 we see how great Israel and Judah are. Scripture says they were as numerous as the sand, no wonder Solomon wanted wisdom to discern these people. Solomon had great provisions provided every single day, but he also reigned over a lot of territories. The 12 governors under Solomon brought him food and ate at his table.

Again, we are reminded of his wisdom given by the Lord. Solomon’s wisdom excelled all the men from the East and all the wisdom of Egypt. (v.30 of Ch. 4) He spoke 3,000 proverbs and he had 1,005 songs. He spoke of nature as well.

Preparation For The Temple

Verse 1- 18 in Chapter 5 tell the story of how a friend of David’s, King Hiram, reached out to Solomon. King Solomon tells him that David was not able to build the Temple to honor God due to multiple enemies and that he would like to as there were no wars. He requests from King Hiram timber for the temple and it is received. King Hiram is paid back with a lot of wheat and olive oil.

I talked about this with my husband, and originally wasn’t going to add this, but realized it was important to show how all of this work got done in 7 years. Solomon had an ENORMOUS workforce. He not only had workers from King Hiram, but 30,000 men from Israel, 70,000 common laborers, 80,000 quarry workers, and 3,600 foremen to supervise. He also had men from the city of Gebal help both the workers of Solomon and King Hiram.

Building The Temple 

Verses 1-13 in Chapter 6 let us know 480 years have passed since the Lord saved the Israelites from Egypt. We then are given details for the building. Measurements were taken. There is a sacredness given in that beams were not inserted into walls nor was there the sound of an ax, hammer, or iron at the building site. Solomon had stones made prior at the quarry.

The Temple had three floors with a spiral staircase to the second floor and another staircase that lead from the second to the third. The entrance was on the south side on the bottom floor. Solomon built a complex of rooms that was outside the Temple.

During this, verse 11, the Lord tells Solomon that if he keeps all decrees, regulations, and obeys all His commands that God will fulfill through Solomon the promise He made to David. The Lord will among the Israelites and never abandon them.

When the Temple was finished it was beautiful. Every wall was paneled with wood. Cedar paneling covered the stone walls throughout and had carvings of opened flowers and gourds. The Most Holy Place was at the far end of the Temple, an inner sanctuary. It was smaller, as the main room was twice the size of the Most Holy Place.

The inner sanctuary is where the Ark of the Lord’s covenant would be. The inside of this sanctuary was overlaid with gold. The altar was overlaid with cedar. The rest of the interior Solomon overlaid with solid gold. Then the altar was also overlaid with gold. 

Solomon made two cherubim of wood that were 15 feet tall (4.6 meters) and placed them in the inner sanctuary side by side. Their outspread wings reached the walls, and their inner wings touched at the center of the room. Both cherubim were overlaid with gold.

All walls of the inner sanctuary and main room had carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and opened flowers. The floors of both rooms were overlaid with gold.

The entrance to the inner sanctuary was a double door made from wild olive which could fold on itself (like those metal closet doors), having 5 doorposts. (Here is a neat article on the mystery of the doorposts I found.) It was decorated with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and opened flowers. He made gold chains to protect the entrance of the Most Holy Place. 

The entrance to the Temple was made of wild olive. It also had two folding doors. These doors had carvings of cherubim, opened flowers, and palm trees. The door was overlaid with gold.

It was completed in seven years, in mid-autumn.

What To Take Away: Our soul is our temple. We can be adorned and look beautiful on the outside, but if we do not have the King reigning inside it does not matter.

Sermon To Listen To: Saved Or Uncertain by Pastor Tim Conway

Worship Song: Take Me In by by Kutless 

COMMENT BELOW:

Is Jesus in your temple? 

Monthly Scripture- (NIV) Psalm 85:01, “You, LORD, showed favor to Your land; You restored the fortunes of Jacob.”

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