Category Archives: Seeking His Kingdom Bible Study

The Ark Brought to the Temple

Introduction:

In 1 Kings 6–7, Solomon oversaw the construction of the Temple in Jerusalem. The Temple was to be the permanent place of worship for Israel and the place where God’s people would gather to offer sacrifices.

Now, in chapter 8, the Temple is completed, and Solomon brings the Ark of the Covenant into the Most Holy Place.

1 Kings 8:1-11 NLT
The Ark Brought to the Temple
^8:1 Solomon then summoned to Jerusalem the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes—the leaders of the ancestral families of the Israelites. They were to bring the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant to the Temple from its location in the City of David, also known as Zion. ²So all the men of Israel assembled before King Solomon at the annual Festival of Shelters, which is held in early autumn in the month of Ethanim.
³When all the elders of Israel arrived, the priests picked up the Ark. ⁴The priests and Levites brought up the Ark of the Lord along with the special tent and all the sacred items that had been in it. ⁵There, before the Ark, King Solomon and the entire community of Israel sacrificed so many sheep, goats, and cattle that no one could keep count!
⁶Then the priests carried the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant into the inner sanctuary of the Temple—the Most Holy Place—and placed it beneath the wings of the cherubim. ⁷The cherubim spread their wings over the Ark, forming a canopy over the Ark and its carrying poles. ⁸These poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place, which is in front of the Most Holy Place, but not from the outside. They are still there to this day. ⁹Nothing was in the Ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Mount Sinai, where the Lord made a covenant with the people of Israel when they left the land of Egypt.
¹⁰When the priests came out of the Holy Place, a thick cloud filled the Temple of the Lord. ¹¹The priests could not continue their service because of the cloud, for the glorious presence of the Lord filled the Temple of the Lord.

Examine the Scriptures

1 Kings 8:1-11 NLT
The Ark Brought to the Temple

^8:1 Solomon then summoned to Jerusalem the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes—the leaders of the ancestral families of the Israelites.

This event was a spiritual milestone for the entire nation of Israel.

The Ark of the Lord’s Covenant would have a permanent home in the Temple.

They were to bring the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant to the Temple from its location in the City of David, also known as Zion.

The Ark of the Covenant was a symbol of the Lord’s presence with His people and represented God’s covenant with Israel.

The ark only contained the tablets of the law.

The Ark’s journey before Jerusalem:

The Ark had been captured by the Philistines. (1 Samuel 4)
The Philistines returned it to the Israelite border town of Beth-shemesh. (1 Samuel 6)
From Beth-shemesh it was moved to Kiriath-jearim where it stayed for approximately20 years. (1 Samuel 7)

When David initially attempted to move the Ark to Jerusalem from Kiriath-jearim, it was placed on a new cart rather than being carried on poles by the Levites. When the oxen stumbled, a man named Uzzah reached out to steady the Ark and was instantly struck dead by God. (2 Samuel 6)

Fearing the anger of the Lord, David halted the procession and redirected the Ark to the nearby home of Obed-edom the Gittite. (Scripture does not identify the town or provide the exact location of Obed-edom’s house). It remained there (3 months) until David saw that God was blessing Obed-edom’s household, prompting him to complete the journey to Jerusalem properly.

The Ark of the Covenant had remained for some time in a tent sanctuary in the old city of David.

2 Samuel 6:17 NLT
¹⁷They brought the Ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the special tent David had prepared for it. And David sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord.

Solomon also went to the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant to make a sacrifice to the Lord.

1 Kings 3:15 NLT
¹⁵Then Solomon woke up and realized it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem and stood before the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, where he sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then he invited all his officials to a great banquet.

The Temple was now ready to receive the Ark of the Covenant.

²So all the men of Israel assembled before King Solomon at the annual Festival of Shelters, which is held in early autumn in the month of Ethanim.

Solomon chose to dedicate the temple during the annual Festival of Shelters.

Solomon apparently delayed the dedication of the temple until the following year so it could take place during the annual Festival of Shelters. (September or October)

The temple:

1 Kings 6:38 NLT
³⁸The entire building was completed in every detail by midautumn, in the month of Bul, during the eleventh year of his reign. So it took seven years to build the Temple. (October or November)

Israelites from throughout the nation were gathering in Jerusalem for a week long (7-8 days) time of celebration and worship.

Leviticus 23 – The Israelites lived in temporary shelters as a reminder of the exodus as well as a celebration for harvest that had been gathered.

The dedication of the Temple celebrated the establishment of a permanent place of worship in Jerusalem.

This was also a Jubilee year according to some Bible scholars. (This may or may not be true.)

³When all the elders of Israel arrived, the priests picked up the Ark. ⁴The priests and Levites brought up the Ark of the Lord along with the special tent and all the sacred items that had been in it.

The Ark was not an ordinary piece of furniture. It was a sacred object associated with God’s covenant and His presence among Israel.

1 Chronicles 15:2 NLT (Deuteronomy 10:8)
²Then he commanded, “No one except the Levites may carry the Ark of God. The Lord has chosen them to carry the Ark of the Lord and to serve him forever.”

Numbers 4:15 explains that the Kohathites were to carry the holy furnishings after the priests had covered them. They were not to touch the sacred objects themselves.

All priests were Levites, but not all Levites were priests.

Only priests could have taken the Ark into the inner sanctuary of the Temple.

1 Chronicles 16:1 NLT
^16:1 They brought the Ark of God and placed it inside the special tent David had prepared for it. And they presented burnt offerings and peace offerings to God.

Note: The “special tent” David had prepared and the Tabernacle appear to be two different structures.

2 Chronicles 1:2-6 NLT (during the early years of Solomon’s reign.)
²Solomon called together all the leaders of Israel—the generals and captains of the army, the judges, and all the political and clan leaders. ³Then he led the entire assembly to the place of worship in Gibeon, for God’s Tabernacle was located there. (This was the Tabernacle that Moses, the Lord’s servant, had made in the wilderness.)
⁴David had already moved the Ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the tent he had prepared for it in Jerusalem. ⁵But the bronze altar made by Bezalel son of Uri and grandson of Hur was there at Gibeon in front of the Tabernacle of the Lord. So Solomon and the people gathered in front of it to consult the Lord. ⁶There in front of the Tabernacle, Solomon went up to the bronze altar in the Lord’s presence and sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings on it.

⁵There, before the Ark, King Solomon and the entire community of Israel sacrificed so many sheep, goats, and cattle that no one could keep count!

Solomon and the assembly of Israel sacrificed so many sheep and cattle that they could not be counted.

The enormous number of sacrifices expressed the significance of this occasion.

Note: At the dedication of the Temple:

1 Kings 8:63 NLT
⁶³Solomon offered to the Lord a peace offering of 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats. And so the king and all the people of Israel dedicated the Temple of the Lord.

⁶Then the priests carried the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant into the inner sanctuary of the Temple—the Most Holy Place—and placed it beneath the wings of the cherubim.

The Most Holy Place was the innermost and most sacred area of the Temple. It represented the special presence of God among His people.

The cherubim were large figures whose outstretched wings covered the area above the Ark.

The Ark itself was a chest associated with God’s covenant. Its cover, often called the mercy seat, was the place where blood was presented on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:14–16).

Leviticus 16:14-16 NLT
¹⁴Then he must take some of the blood of the bull, dip his finger in it, and sprinkle it on the east side of the atonement cover. He must sprinkle blood seven times with his finger in front of the atonement cover.
¹⁵“Then Aaron must slaughter the first goat as a sin offering for the people and carry its blood behind the inner curtain. There he will sprinkle the goat’s blood over the atonement cover and in front of it, just as he did with the bull’s blood. ¹⁶Through this process, he will purify the Most Holy Place, and he will do the same for the entire Tabernacle, because of the defiling sin and rebellion of the Israelites.

Review: Cherubim

1 Kings 6:23-28 NLT
²³He (Solomon) made two cherubim of wild olive wood, each 15 feet tall, and placed them in the inner sanctuary. ²⁴The wingspan of each of the cherubim was 15 feet, each wing being 7 1⁄2 feet long. ²⁵The two cherubim were identical in shape and size; ²⁶each was 15 feet tall. ²⁷He placed them side by side in the inner sanctuary of the Temple. Their outspread wings reached from wall to wall, while their inner wings touched at the center of the room. ²⁸He overlaid the two cherubim with gold.

⁷The cherubim spread their wings over the Ark, forming a canopy over the Ark and its carrying poles.

The cherubim symbolized the holiness and majesty of God’s heavenly presence.

Similar to Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4

Isaiah 6:1-3 NLT
^6:1 It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. ²Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. ³They were calling out to each other,
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies!
The whole earth is filled with his glory!”

Also Revelation 4:8

⁸These poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place, which is in front of the Most Holy Place, but not from the outside. They are still there to this day.

Exodus 25:15 NLT
¹⁵These carrying poles must stay inside the rings; never remove them.

Remember:
There is a right way and a wrong way to transport the Ark.
(David should have known this.)

⁹Nothing was in the Ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Mount Sinai, where the Lord made a covenant with the people of Israel when they left the land of Egypt.

The ark had once contained a jar of manna and Aaron’s rod.

Now the ark only contained the tablets of the law.

The tablets reminded Israel that its relationship with God was based on His covenant.

¹⁰When the priests came out of the Holy Place, a thick cloud filled the Temple of the Lord.

The cloud was a visible sign of God’s glorious presence.

Exodus 40:33-35 NLT (The Lord’s Glory Fills the Tabernacle)

³³Then he hung the curtains forming the courtyard around the Tabernacle and the altar. And he set up the curtain at the entrance of the courtyard. So at last Moses finished the work.
³⁴Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. ³⁵Moses could no longer enter the Tabernacle because the cloud had settled down over it, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.

¹¹The priests could not continue their service because of the cloud, for the glorious presence of the Lord filled the Temple of the Lord.

God’s presence was so overwhelming that the priests could not carry on their duties.

Previous examples of God’s presence with the people:

Exodus 20:21 NLT
²¹As the people stood in the distance, Moses approached the dark cloud where God was.

Deuteronomy 4:10-12 NLT
¹⁰Never forget the day when you stood before the Lord your God at Mount Sinai, where he told me, ‘Summon the people before me, and I will personally instruct them. Then they will learn to fear me as long as they live, and they will teach their children to fear me also.’
¹¹“You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, while flames from the mountain shot into the sky. The mountain was shrouded in black clouds and deep darkness. ¹²And the Lord spoke to you from the heart of the fire. You heard the sound of his words but didn’t see his form; there was only a voice.

The Ark of the Covenant now has a home in the Temple.

Furnishings for the Temple (continued)

Introduction:

Review:

In our previous lesson we learned about Huram (HOO-ram) constructing:

Two bronze pillars, the capitals for the tops of the pillars, a great round basin, and twelve bronze oxen, all permanent structures made out of bronze.

In this lesson we will learn about Huram making:

Ten bronze water carts, ten bronze basins, washbasins, shovels, bowls, and a bronze altar. All of these items were made of bronze and were made to be mobile.

We’ll also learn about Solomon making:

a gold altar, gold table(s) for the Bread of the Presence, lampstands of solid gold, flower decorations, lamps, tongs, lamp snuffers, bowls, ladles, incense burners, and doors for the entrances to the Most Holy Place and the main room of the Temple, with their fronts overlaid with gold.

1 Kings 7:27-51 NLT
Furnishings for the Temple (continued)
²⁷Huram also made ten bronze water carts, each 6 feet long, 6 feet wide, and 4 1⁄2 feet tall. ²⁸They were constructed with side panels braced with crossbars. ²⁹Both the panels and the crossbars were decorated with carved lions, oxen, and cherubim. Above and below the lions and oxen were wreath decorations. ³⁰Each of these carts had four bronze wheels and bronze axles. There were supporting posts for the bronze basins at the corners of the carts; these supports were decorated on each side with carvings of wreaths. ³¹The top of each cart had a rounded frame for the basin. It projected 1 1⁄2 feet above the cart’s top like a round pedestal, and its opening was 2 1⁄4 feet across; it was decorated on the outside with carvings of wreaths. The panels of the carts were square, not round. ³²Under the panels were four wheels that were connected to axles that had been cast as one unit with the cart. The wheels were 2 1⁄4 feet in diameter ³³and were similar to chariot wheels. The axles, spokes, rims, and hubs were all cast from molten bronze.
³⁴There were handles at each of the four corners of the carts, and these, too, were cast as one unit with the cart. ³⁵Around the top of each cart was a rim nine inches wide. The corner supports and side panels were cast as one unit with the cart. ³⁶Carvings of cherubim, lions, and palm trees decorated the panels and corner supports wherever there was room, and there were wreaths all around. ³⁷All ten water carts were the same size and were made alike, for each was cast from the same mold.
³⁸Huram also made ten smaller bronze basins, one for each cart. Each basin was six feet across and could hold 220 gallons of water. ³⁹He set five water carts on the south side of the Temple and five on the north side. The great bronze basin called the Sea was placed near the southeast corner of the Temple. ⁴⁰He also made the necessary washbasins, shovels, and bowls.
So at last Huram completed everything King Solomon had assigned him to make for the Temple of the Lord:
⁴¹the two pillars;
the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars;
the two networks of interwoven chains that decorated the capitals;
⁴²the 400 pomegranates that hung from the chains on the capitals (two rows of pomegranates for each of the chain networks that decorated the capitals on top of the pillars);
⁴³the ten water carts holding the ten basins;
⁴⁴the Sea and the twelve oxen under it;
⁴⁵the ash buckets, the shovels, and the bowls.
Huram made all these things of burnished bronze for the Temple of the Lord, just as King Solomon had directed. ⁴⁶The king had them cast in clay molds in the Jordan Valley between Succoth and Zarethan. ⁴⁷Solomon did not weigh all these things because there were so many; the weight of the bronze could not be measured.
⁴⁸Solomon also made all the furnishings of the Temple of the Lord:
the gold altar;
the gold table for the Bread of the Presence;
⁴⁹the lampstands of solid gold, five on the south and five on the north, in front of the Most Holy Place;
the flower decorations, lamps, and tongs—all of gold;
⁵⁰the small bowls, lamp snuffers, bowls, ladles, and incense burners—all of solid gold;
the doors for the entrances to the Most Holy Place and the main room of the Temple, with their fronts overlaid with gold.
⁵¹So King Solomon finished all his work on the Temple of the Lord. Then he brought all the gifts his father, David, had dedicated—the silver, the gold, and the various articles—and he stored them in the treasuries of the Lord’s Temple.

Examine the Scriptures
1 Kings 7:27-51 NLT
Furnishings for the Temple (continued)

First we’ll look at the water carts.

²⁷Huram also made ten bronze water carts, each 6 feet long, 6 feet wide, and 4 1⁄2 feet tall.

Note:
Where did this bronze come from?

1 Chronicles 18:3, 7-8 NLT
³ David also destroyed the forces of Hadadezer, (Ha dad a zer) king of Zobah, …

⁷David brought the gold shields of Hadadezer’s officers to Jerusalem, ⁸along with a large amount of bronze from Hadadezer’s towns of Tebah and Cun. Later Solomon melted the bronze and molded it into the great bronze basin called the Sea, the pillars, and the various bronze articles used at the Temple.

²⁸They were constructed with side panels braced with crossbars. ²⁹Both the panels and the crossbars were decorated with carved lions, oxen, and cherubim. Above and below the lions and oxen were wreath decorations. ³⁰Each of these carts had four bronze wheels and bronze axles. There were supporting posts for the bronze basins at the corners of the carts; these supports were decorated on each side with carvings of wreaths.

Huram made ten bronze water carts, each 6 feet long, 6 feet wide, and 4 1⁄2 feet tall. Each of these carts had four bronze wheels and bronze axles.

2 Chronicles 4:6 NLT
⁶He also made ten smaller basins for washing the utensils for the burnt offerings. He set five on the south side and five on the north. But the priests washed themselves in the Sea.

³¹The top of each cart had a rounded frame for the basin. It projected 1 1⁄2 feet above the cart’s top like a round pedestal, and its opening was 2 1⁄4 feet across; it was decorated on the outside with carvings of wreaths. The panels of the carts were square, not round. ³²Under the panels were four wheels that were connected to axles that had been cast as one unit with the cart. The wheels were 2 1⁄4 feet in diameter ³³and were similar to chariot wheels. The axles, spokes, rims, and hubs were all cast from molten bronze.

The carts were carefully engineered.

The carts were elaborately decorated.

The movable stands made it possible to position the water where it was needed.

³⁴There were handles at each of the four corners of the carts, and these, too, were cast as one unit with the cart. ³⁵Around the top of each cart was a rim nine inches wide. The corner supports and side panels were cast as one unit with the cart. ³⁶Carvings of cherubim, lions, and palm trees decorated the panels and corner supports wherever there was room, and there were wreaths all around. ³⁷All ten water carts were the same size and were made alike, for each was cast from the same mold.

All 10 carts were identical, being cast from the same mold.

³⁸Huram also made ten smaller bronze basins, one for each cart. Each basin was six feet across and could hold 220 gallons of water.

Huram made ten bronze basins, one for each cart. Each basin was six feet across and could hold 220 gallons of water.

The water carts made by Huram were not simply ornamental pieces of furniture. They were used to wash certain prescribed parts of the animals that were slaughtered for burnt offerings.

Leviticus 1:13 NLT
¹³But the internal organs and the legs must first be washed with water. Then the priest will burn the entire sacrifice on the altar as a burnt offering. It is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

The temple worship involved an enormous amount of activity. Thousands of animals could be sacrificed, and there were numerous utensils and objects that needed washing.

³⁹He set five water carts on the south side of the Temple and five on the north side. The great bronze basin called the Sea was placed near the southeast corner of the Temple.

⁴⁰He also made the necessary washbasins, shovels, and bowls.

Shovels were used to scoop up the ashes that were emptied into the bowls for disposal.

Note:
Exodus 27:3 NLT
³Make ash buckets, shovels, basins, meat forks, and firepans, all of bronze.

The same tools served the same purpose in the Tabernacle.

Review all that Huram had completed up to this point:

So at last Huram completed everything King Solomon had assigned him to make for the Temple of the Lord:
⁴¹the two pillars;
the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars;
the two networks of interwoven chains that decorated the capitals;
⁴²the 400 pomegranates that hung from the chains on the capitals (two rows of pomegranates for each of the chain networks that decorated the capitals on top of the pillars);
⁴³the ten water carts holding the ten basins;
⁴⁴the Sea and the twelve oxen under it;
⁴⁵the ash buckets, the shovels, and the bowls.

Plus:

2 Chronicles 4:1 NLT
Furnishings for the Temple
^4:1 Solomon (Huram) also made a bronze altar 30 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 15 feet high.

Huram made all these things of burnished bronze for the Temple of the Lord,

Burnished bronze is bronze polished to a high shine.

just as King Solomon had directed. ⁴⁶The king had them cast in clay molds in the Jordan Valley between Succoth and Zarethan.

About 35 miles north of the Dead Sea.

This location between Succoth and Zarethan abounded in clay suitable for molds and lay close to a source of charcoal for heat, namely, the forests across the Jordan River.

⁴⁷Solomon did not weigh all these things because there were so many; the weight of the bronze could not be measured.

The amount of bronze used was simply enormous.

Recording the crafting of these furnishings in so much detail emphasizes the magnificent beauty, symmetry, and glory of the temple.

⁴⁸Solomon also made all the furnishings of the Temple of the Lord:

Huram was responsible for all of the work in bronze. Solomon was in charge of the work in gold.

Bronze was used for the furnishings outside the temple but the furniture inside the temple was made of gold.

As we already know, Solomon was very wealthy.

1 Kings 10:14 (a later date)
1 Kings 10:14 NLT
Solomon’s Wealth and Splendor
¹⁴Each year Solomon received about 25 tons of gold.

the gold altar;

Used for:

Exodus 30:1 NLT
Plans for the Incense Altar for the Tabernacle
^30:1 “Then make another altar … for burning incense.

This was placed in front of The Most Holy Place.

The gold alter was used for burning incense.

the gold table for the Bread of the Presence;

There may have been 10 tables.

2 Chronicles 4:8, 19 NLT
⁸He also built ten tables and placed them in the Temple, five along the south wall and five along the north wall. Then he molded 100 gold basins.

¹⁹Solomon also made all the furnishings for the Temple of God:
the gold altar;
the tables for the Bread of the Presence;

Exodus 25:30 NLT
³⁰Place the Bread of the Presence on the table to remain before me at all times.

What was the Bread of the Presence?

Leviticus 24:5-9 NLT
⁵“You must bake twelve flat loaves of bread from choice flour, using four quarts of flour for each loaf. ⁶Place the bread before the Lord on the pure gold table, and arrange the loaves in two stacks, with six loaves in each stack. ⁷Put some pure frankincense near each stack to serve as a representative offering, a special gift presented to the Lord. ⁸Every Sabbath day this bread must be laid out before the Lord as a gift from the Israelites; it is an ongoing expression of the eternal covenant. ⁹The loaves of bread will belong to Aaron and his descendants, who must eat them in a sacred place, for they are most holy. It is the permanent right of the priests to claim this portion of the special gifts presented to the Lord.”

⁴⁹the lampstands of solid gold, five on the south and five on the north, in front of the Most Holy Place;

Five on either side of the doors, providing a corridor of light.

Only one lampstand with seven arms had stood in the Tabernacle.

the flower decorations, lamps, and tongs—all of gold;
⁵⁰the small bowls, lamp snuffers, bowls, ladles, and incense burners—all of solid gold;
the doors for the entrances to the Most Holy Place and the main room of the Temple, with their fronts overlaid with gold.

“all of solid gold” Awesome!

King Solomon also made a gold altar, gold table(s) for the Bread of the Presence, lampstands of solid gold, flower decorations, lamps, tongs, lamp snuffers, bowls, ladles, incense burners, and doors for the entrances to the Most Holy Place and the main room of the Temple, with their fronts overlaid with gold.

⁵¹So King Solomon finished all his work on the Temple of the Lord. Then he brought all the gifts his father, David, had dedicated—the silver, the gold, and the various articles—and he stored them in the treasuries of the Lord’s Temple.

These items may have been “spoils of war” or items received as tribute from kings seeking David’s favor.

2 Samuel 8:9-12 NLT
⁹When King Toi of Hamath heard that David had destroyed the entire army of Hadadezer, ¹⁰he sent his son Joram to congratulate King David for his successful campaign. Hadadezer and Toi had been enemies and were often at war. Joram presented David with many gifts of silver, gold, and bronze.
¹¹King David dedicated all these gifts to the Lord, as he did with the silver and gold from the other nations he had defeated— ¹²from Edom, Moab, Ammon, Philistia, and Amalek—and from Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

1 Kings 7:27–51 shows that the temple was not simply a building. Every object had a purpose, the craftsmen used God-given abilities, and the furnishings continually reminded Israel of God’s holiness, presence, and relationship with His people.

Follow up to later events

2 Kings 12:17-18 NLT
The End of Joash’s Reign
¹⁷About this time King Hazael of Aram went to war against Gath and captured it. Then he turned to attack Jerusalem. ¹⁸King Joash collected all the sacred objects that Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah, the previous kings of Judah, had dedicated, along with what he himself had dedicated. He sent them all to Hazael, along with all the gold in the treasuries of the Lord’s Temple and the royal palace. So Hazael called off his attack on Jerusalem.

2 Kings 25:8-15 NLT
The Temple Destroyed
⁸On August 14 of that year which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard and an official of the Babylonian king, arrived in Jerusalem. ⁹He burned down the Temple of the Lord, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem. He destroyed all the important buildings in the city. ¹⁰Then he supervised the entire Babylonian army as they tore down the walls of Jerusalem on every side. ¹¹Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took as exiles the rest of the people who remained in the city, the defectors who had declared their allegiance to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the population. ¹²But the captain of the guard allowed some of the poorest people to stay behind to care for the vineyards and fields.
¹³The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars in front of the Lord’s Temple, the bronze water carts, and the great bronze basin called the Sea, and they carried all the bronze away to Babylon. ¹⁴They also took all the ash buckets, shovels, lamp snuffers, ladles, and all the other bronze articles used for making sacrifices at the Temple. ¹⁵The captain of the guard also took the incense burners and basins, and all the other articles made of pure gold or silver.

Furnishings for the Temple

In our previous lesson we discussed Solomon’s palace complex. In this lesson our focus returns to the Temple.

This passage introduces Huram (Hiram), a skilled craftsman whom Solomon brought in to make the bronze furnishings for the temple.

1 Kings 7:13-26 NLT
Furnishings for the Temple
¹³King Solomon then asked for a man named Huram to come from Tyre. ¹⁴He was half Israelite, since his mother was a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father had been a craftsman in bronze from Tyre. Huram was extremely skillful and talented in any work in bronze, and he came to do all the metal work for King Solomon.
¹⁵Huram cast two bronze pillars, each 27 feet tall and 18 feet in circumference. ¹⁶For the tops of the pillars he cast bronze capitals, each 7 1⁄2 feet tall. ¹⁷Each capital was decorated with seven sets of latticework and interwoven chains. ¹⁸He also encircled the latticework with two rows of pomegranates to decorate the capitals over the pillars. ¹⁹The capitals on the columns inside the entry room were shaped like water lilies, and they were six feet tall. ²⁰The capitals on the two pillars had 200 pomegranates in two rows around them, beside the rounded surface next to the latticework. ²¹Huram set the pillars at the entrance of the Temple, one toward the south and one toward the north. He named the one on the south Jakin, and the one on the north Boaz. ²²The capitals on the pillars were shaped like water lilies. And so the work on the pillars was finished.
²³Then Huram cast a great round basin, 15 feet across from rim to rim, called the Sea. It was 7 1⁄2 feet deep and about 45 feet in circumference. ²⁴It was encircled just below its rim by two rows of decorative gourds. There were about six gourds per foot all the way around, and they were cast as part of the basin.
²⁵The Sea was placed on a base of twelve bronze oxen, all facing outward. Three faced north, three faced west, three faced south, and three faced east, and the Sea rested on them. ²⁶The walls of the Sea were about three inches thick, and its rim flared out like a cup and resembled a water lily blossom. It could hold about 11,000 gallons of water.

Examine the Scriptures

1 Kings 7:13-26 NLT
Furnishings for the Temple

¹³King Solomon then asked for a man named Huram to come from Tyre.

More detail about this request:

2 Chronicles 2 NLT
Preparations for Building the Temple
^2:1 Solomon decided to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord, and also a royal palace for himself. … ³Solomon also sent this message to King Hiram at Tyre: …
⁴I am about to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord my God. …
⁷“So send me a master craftsman who can work with gold, silver, bronze, and iron, as well as with purple, scarlet, and blue cloth. He must be a skilled engraver who can work with the craftsmen of Judah and Jerusalem who were selected by my father, David. …
¹¹King Hiram sent this letter of reply to Solomon:
…
¹³“I am sending you a master craftsman named Huram-abi, who is extremely talented.

Some translations spell his name Hiram. This is not the King Hiram mentioned in chapter 5 or in 2 Chronicles.

King Solomon asked for a man named Huram to come from Tyre.

¹⁴He (Huram) was half Israelite, since his mother was a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father had been a craftsman in bronze from Tyre (a Phoenician).

Comments from two different commentaries:

Apparently his mother was born in the city of Dan in Northern Israel close to the tribe of Naphtali, from which came her first husband. After he died, she married a man from Tyre. (NIV Study Bible)

According to 2 Chronicles 2:14 (next page) Huram’s mother was from Dan. Perhaps Dan was the tribe into which she was born and Naphtali was her residence, or vice versa. (BKC)

We may never know why 1 Kings 7 and 2 Chronicles appear to differ.

Unlike the hostility toward mixed heritage seen later in Biblical history, it appeared that Huram faced no social stigma.

Huram was extremely skillful and talented in any work in bronze, and he came to do all the metal work for King Solomon.

Same verse in different treanslations:

1 Kings 7:14 ESV
¹⁴He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze. And he was full of wisdom, understanding, and skill for making any work in bronze. He came to King Solomon and did all his work.

1 Kings 7:14 NIV
¹⁴whose mother was a widow from the tribe of Naphtali and whose father was from Tyre and a skilled craftsman in bronze. Huram was filled with wisdom, with understanding and with knowledge to do all kinds of bronze work. He came to King Solomon and did all the work assigned to him.

2 Chronicles 2:13-14 NLT (re building the Temple)

¹³“I (King Hiram) am sending you a master craftsman named Huram-abi, who is extremely talented. ¹⁴His mother is from the tribe of Dan in Israel, and his father is from Tyre. He is skillful at making things from gold, silver, bronze, and iron, and he also works with stone and wood. He can work with purple, blue, and scarlet cloth and fine linen. He is also an engraver and can follow any design given to him. He will work with your craftsmen and those appointed by my lord David, your father.

Hiram was described as being:

“full of wisdom”

“understanding”

“skill”

These three words are significant. His ability was not simply technical knowledge. He possessed the wisdom and understanding necessary to use his craftsmanship effectively.

Huram was extremely skillful and talented in any work in bronze

God gives people different abilities that can be used in His service.

Other skilled craftsman mentioned in the Bible:

Exodus 31 NLT
Craftsmen: Bezalel and Oholiab
^31:1 Then the Lord said to Moses, ²“Look, I have specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. ³I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. ⁴He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. ⁵He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft!
⁶“And I have personally appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to be his assistant. Moreover, I have given special skill to all the gifted craftsmen so they can make all the things I have commanded you to make:

Exodus 36:1 NLT
^36:1 “The Lord has gifted Bezalel, Oholiab, and the other skilled craftsmen with wisdom and ability to perform any task involved in building the sanctuary. Let them construct and furnish the Tabernacle, just as the Lord has commanded.”

Exodus 28:3:NLT
³Instruct all the skilled craftsmen whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom. Have them make garments for Aaron that will distinguish him as a priest set apart for my service.

Proverbs 22:29 NLT
²⁹Do you see any truly competent workers?
They will serve kings
rather than working for ordinary people.

By describing a half-Gentile man (Huram) with the same terms used for a Spirit-filled Israelite hero (Bezalel), the text elevates Huram to a position of immense spiritual and cultural respect.

The Lord gifted skilled craftsmen with wisdom and ability to perform any task involved in building the sanctuary.

Reflect on the following:

Philippians 4:19 NLT
¹⁹And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵Huram cast two bronze pillars, each 27 feet tall and 18 feet in circumference.

These two bronze pillars were massive.

¹⁶For the tops of the pillars he cast bronze capitals, each 7 1⁄2 feet tall.

In Biblical terms, a capital is the ornate, uppermost head or crown placed on top of a pillar or column.

The original Hebrew text uses the word kothereth (meaning capital or crown) or rosh (meaning head).

A pillar was considered unfinished until its capital was placed on top.

Capitals and pillars in the Bible are rich in symbolism, representing divine strength, beauty, and the enduring presence of God among His people.

¹⁷Each capital was decorated with seven sets of latticework and interwoven chains. ¹⁸He also encircled the latticework with two rows of pomegranates to decorate the capitals over the pillars.

Verses about pomegranates:

Numbers 13:23 NLT
²³When they came to the valley of Eshcol, they cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes so large that it took two of them to carry it on a pole between them! They also brought back samples of the pomegranates and figs.

Deuteronomy 8:8 NLT
⁸It is a land of wheat and barley; of grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates; of olive oil and honey.

Exodus 28:33-34 NLT
Aaron’s Priestly Garment
³³Make pomegranates out of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and attach them to the hem of the robe, with gold bells between them. ³⁴The gold bells and pomegranates are to alternate all around the hem.

Pomegranates are often interpreted as symbols of abundance.

¹⁹The capitals on the columns inside the entry room were shaped like water lilies, and they were six feet tall.

These appear to be different from the capitals on the pillars.

²⁰The capitals on the two pillars had 200 pomegranates in two rows around them, beside the rounded surface next to the latticework.

These designs featuring pomegranates and lilies, are often interpreted as symbols of abundance and beauty.

²¹Huram set the pillars at the entrance of the Temple, one toward the south and one toward the north. He named the one on the south Jakin, and the one on the north Boaz.

These two massive pillars made of bronze, named Jakin and Boaz, were positioned at the entrance to the temple.

They may have been free standing, though some temples from the ancient world had pillars supporting the roof of the porch.

These were probably free standing since the narrator describes them here with the temple furnishing rather than in the earlier discussion in chapter 6 of the Temple structure.

In Solomon’s Temple, pillars were not only functional but also highly decorative. The two bronze pillars named Jachin and Boaz stood at the entrance of the Temple, symbolizing God’s establishment and strength. (MacArthur has these pillars pictured freestanding outside of the temple.)

Jakin: The name means “he established” or “He establishes” or “He shall establish”

The work of God is established by God.

Boaz: The name means “in Him is strength” or “In it is strength”

The strength necessary to accomplish God’s work ultimately comes from God.

God’s security and strength is available to the nation living in obedience to Him.

The height and beauty of the capitals drew people’s eyes upward toward the glory of God in the sanctuary.

²²The capitals on the pillars were shaped like water lilies. And so the work on the pillars was finished.

²³Then Huram cast a great round basin,

Remember:

The bronze washbasin in the tabernacle.

Plans for the Washbasin in the Tabernacle

Exodus 30:17-21 NLT
¹⁷Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹⁸“Make a bronze washbasin with a bronze stand. Place it between the Tabernacle and the altar, and fill it with water. ¹⁹Aaron and his sons will wash their hands and feet there. ²⁰They must wash with water whenever they go into the Tabernacle to appear before the Lord and when they approach the altar to burn up their special gifts to the Lord—or they will die! ²¹They must always wash their hands and feet, or they will die. This is a permanent law for Aaron and his descendants, to be observed from generation to generation.”

15 feet across from rim to rim, called the Sea. It was 7 1⁄2 feet deep and about 45 feet in circumference. ²⁴It was encircled just below its rim by two rows of decorative gourds. There were about six gourds per foot all the way around, and they were cast as part of the basin.

This was a massive basin.

Huram made an enormous water reservoir for the ceremonial washing and purification of the priests before they performed their sacred duties in Solomon’s Temple.

Depending on the unit of measure (feet or cubit) it took between 500 -600 gourds to decorate the basin.

The Sea cast of metal was a large round metal basin designed to hold 11,000 gallons of water.

Used for ritual cleansing.

2 Chronicles 4:6 NLT
^… the priests washed themselves in the Sea.

A reservoir for the temple courtyard. (BKC)

The priests needed water for ceremonial washing associated with their service.

The Sea therefore had a practical purpose: providing a large quantity of water for purification associated with temple worship.

²⁵The Sea was placed on a base of twelve bronze oxen, all facing outward.

The number 12 is significant in scripture.

The number twelve in scripture frequently represents the twelve tribes:

The priests served God on behalf of all twelve tribes of Israel.

The number 12 appears in:

Exodus 24:4 NLT
⁴Then Moses carefully wrote down all the Lord’s instructions. Early the next morning Moses got up and built an altar at the foot of the mountain. He also set up twelve pillars, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Joshua 4:1-9
Two piles of 12 stones as memorials to the crossing of the Jordan by the 12 tribes.

12 also appears in:

Revelation 21:10-14 NLT
¹⁰So he took me (John) in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. ¹¹It shone with the glory of God and sparkled like a precious stone—like jasper as clear as crystal. ¹²The city wall was broad and high, with twelve gates guarded by twelve angels. And the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written on the gates. ¹³There were three gates on each side—east, north, south, and west. ¹⁴The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

The oxen also represented strength and stability. The enormous basin rested upon them.

Three faced north, three faced west, three faced south, and three faced east, and the Sea rested on them.

²⁶The walls of the Sea were about three inches thick, and its rim flared out like a cup and resembled a water lily blossom. It could hold about 11,000 gallons of water.

Summary:

God equips people, from any heritage, with wisdom, understanding, and skill, and He can use those gifts to accomplish His purposes.

Hiram’s work reminds us that faithfulness to God includes doing ordinary work with extraordinary care because we are ultimately serving Him.

More Temple furnishings in our next lesson

Solomon Builds His Palace

Review:

1^st and 2^nd Samuel

The story of Israel’s transition from the time of the judges to the rise of the Monarchy.

The story of:

Samuel

Israel demanding a king

Saul’s rise and fall

Ish-bosheth was King Saul’s fourth son who briefly reigned as king over Israel for two years following his father’s death.

David’s reign – his success, sins, family tragedies, and God’s covenant with him.

Civil wars and conflicts in Israel.

1^st Kings

Solomon’s prosperity and wisdom.

Solomon builds the temple.

Introduction:

1 Kings 7:1–12 describes the construction of Solomon’s royal palace complex after the Temple was completed. The passage is important because it contrasts the house of God with the house of the king.

1 Kings 7:1–12 describes the construction of Solomon’s royal palace complex after the Temple was completed.

1 Kings 7:1-12 NLT
Solomon Builds His Palace
^7:1 Solomon also built a palace for himself, and it took him thirteen years to complete the construction.
²One of Solomon’s buildings was called the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. It was 150 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. There were four rows of cedar pillars, and great cedar beams rested on the pillars. ³The hall had a cedar roof. Above the beams on the pillars were forty-five side rooms arranged in three tiers of fifteen each. ⁴On each end of the long hall were three rows of windows facing each other. ⁵All the doorways and doorposts had rectangular frames and were arranged in sets of three, facing each other.
⁶Solomon also built the Hall of Pillars, which was 75 feet long and 45 feet wide. There was a porch in front, along with a canopy supported by pillars.
⁷Solomon also built the throne room, known as the Hall of Justice, where he sat to hear legal matters. It was paneled with cedar from floor to ceiling. ⁸Solomon’s living quarters surrounded a courtyard behind this hall, and they were constructed the same way. He also built similar living quarters for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had married.
⁹From foundation to eaves, all these buildings were built from huge blocks of high-quality stone, cut with saws and trimmed to exact measure on all sides. ¹⁰Some of the huge foundation stones were 15 feet long, and some were 12 feet long. ¹¹The blocks of high-quality stone used in the walls were also cut to measure, and cedar beams were also used. ¹²The walls of the great courtyard were built so that there was one layer of cedar beams between every three layers of finished stone, just like the walls of the inner courtyard of the Lord’s Temple with its entry room.

Examine the Scriptures

1 Kings 7:1-12 NLT
Solomon Builds His Palace

Apply 2 Timothy 3:16-17 to this passage.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT
¹⁶All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. ¹⁷God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

All scripture has value.

How much do you know about Solomon’s palace and the building of Solomon’s palace?

What comes to your mind when something in scripture is repeated?
What comes to your mind when something in scripture is not repeated?

Scriptures related to the building of Solomon’s palace.

Building Solomon’s palace:

1Kings 7:1-12
Only 12 verses
A much greater focus is placed on the building of the temple.

Other passages briefly mentioning the palace.

2 Chronicles 8:1 NLT
Solomon’s Many Achievements
It took Solomon twenty years to build the Lord’s Temple and his own royal palace. …

1 Kings 9:10 NLT
¹⁰It took Solomon twenty years to build the Lord’s Temple and his own royal palace. …

There are other passages in the Bible that talk about Solomon’s wealth.

There are very few passages in the Bible related to the building of Solomon’s palace.

^7:1 Solomon also built a palace for himself, and it took him thirteen years to complete the construction.

The temple took 7 years to build. Solomon’s palace took 13 years to build.

Reflect on the following passages of scripture:

Matthew 6:19-21 NLT
¹⁹“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

2 Kings 25:8-10 NLT
⁸On August 14 of that year, which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard and an official of the Babylonian king, arrived in Jerusalem. ⁹He burned down the Temple of the Lord, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem. He destroyed all the important buildings in the city. ¹⁰Then he supervised the entire Babylonian army as they tore down the walls of Jerusalem on every side.

Solomon likely lived in his completed palace for about 16 years before his death.

Approximately 350 years later it was completely destroyed.

“None of the remains of Solomon’s palace have been found by archeologists.” (The Bible Knowledge Commentary)

The palace complex was considerably larger than that of the temple and appears to have included several buildings:

the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon
the Hall of Pillars
the throne room, known as the Hall of Justice
Solomon’s living quarters
a courtyard
living quarters for Pharaoh’s daughter

Many of the details of this construction project are missing.

²One of Solomon’s buildings

Solomon’s “palace” was a complex of structures.

The complex contained “Several separate but interconnected buildings.” (The Bible Knowledge Commentary)

was called the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.

Verses 2, 3, 7, 11, and 12 mention cedar.

One of Solomon’s buildings was made of so much cedar it was called the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.

It was 150 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high.

One of several buildings in the palace complex. 150 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high.

The temple was 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high.

This was an enormous structure.

More than four times the square feet of the temple floor, for just this building. (11,250 vs. 2,700 square feet)

There were four rows of cedar pillars, and great cedar beams rested on the pillars. ³The hall had a cedar roof.

The repeated mention of cedar emphasizes Solomon’s enormous resources. Cedar was expensive and had to be imported from Lebanon.

Above the beams on the pillars were forty-five side rooms arranged in three tiers of fifteen each. (Three floors?) ⁴On each end of the long hall were three rows of windows facing each other. ⁵All the doorways and doorposts had rectangular frames and were arranged in sets of three, facing each other.

The building included storage area for weaponry.

1 Kings 10:16-17 NLT
¹⁶King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold, each weighing more than fifteen pounds. ¹⁷He also made 300 smaller shields of hammered gold, each weighing nearly four pounds. The king placed these shields in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.

Isaiah 22:8 NIV
⁸The Lord stripped away the defenses of Judah,
and you looked in that day
to the weapons in the Palace of the Forest.

Some believe this structure included both an armory and a treasury. (This makes sense.)

⁶Solomon also built the Hall of Pillars, which was 75 feet long and 45 feet wide. There was a porch in front, along with a canopy supported by pillars.

3375 square feet.

The temple was 2700 square feet.

This may have been an entry hall or waiting area for the Hall of judgment. (MacArthur)

In the ancient world, architecture often communicated power:

Large buildings → wealth → authority → prestige.

Solomon possessed all of these in abundance.

⁷Solomon also built the throne room, known as the Hall of Justice, where he sat to hear legal matters. It was paneled with cedar from floor to ceiling.

This is where Solomon sat to hear legal matters.

1 Kings 3:9 NLT
⁹Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?”

⁸Solomon’s living quarters surrounded a courtyard behind this hall, and they were constructed the same way.

Solomon had access to tremendous resources and highly skilled craftsmen.

Everything he had built was constructed with the same high level of craftsmanship reflecting his wealth and royal status.

He also built similar living quarters for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had married.

Refer to 2 Chronicles 8:11

2 Chronicles 8:11 NLT
¹¹Solomon moved his wife, Pharaoh’s daughter, from the City of David to the new palace he had built for her. He said, “My wife must not live in King David’s palace, for the Ark of the Lord has been there, and it is holy ground.”

⁹From foundation to eaves, all these buildings were built from huge blocks of high-quality stone, cut with saws and trimmed to exact measure on all sides.

Palestinian limestone can be cut with a saw when freshly quarried, but hardens when exposed to the elements.

¹⁰Some of the huge foundation stones were 15 feet long, and some were 12 feet long. ¹¹The blocks of high-quality stone used in the walls were also cut to measure, and cedar beams were also used. ¹²The walls of the great courtyard were built so that there was one layer of cedar beams between every three layers of finished stone, just like the walls of the inner courtyard of the Lord’s Temple with its entry room.

From our lesson on the construction of the temple.

* “Israeli archeologists have excavated stone structures and fortification walls in which horizontal courses of wood beams were laid intermittently between courses of stones. These would allow the buildings to absorb earthquake shocks without collapsing. (Many parts of Israel are in active earthquake zones.).”

The courtyard:

The great palace courtyard was protected by a wall similar in design to that built around the inner courtyard of the temple. (The Bible Knowledge Commentary)

There is nothing inherently wrong with Solomon’s beautiful buildings but as the story progresses, Solomon’s heart increasingly becomes divided.

There is an important contrast in 1 Kings:

The Temple represents worship and God’s presence.
The palace represents Solomon’s authority, wealth, and personal kingdom.

Remember:

Solomon likely lived in his completed palace for about 16 years before his death.

Approximately 350 years later it was completely destroyed.

“None of the remains of Solomon’s palace have been found by archeologists.” (The Bible Knowledge Commentary)

Think about:

Matthew 6:24 NLT
²⁴“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.

Solomon Builds the Temple (continued)

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Solomon Builds the Temple (continued)

Introduction:

In this lesson, Solomon continues working on the interior of the Temple, with a focus on the inner sanctuary.

Review:

The Tabernacle

Built shortly after the Exodus from Egypt under Moses (1446-1445 BC). Replaced by Solomon’s temple.

Solomon’s Temple

Built by King Solomon (966-959 BC). Destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC. (Remember: This is not the temple that existed at the time of Christ.)

Herod’s Temple

The Second Temple (Zerubbabel’s Temple)
Built after the Babylonian exile around 516 BC.
Renovated and expanded by Herod the Great beginning around 20 BC.
Destroyed AD 70.

1 Kings 6:19-38 NLT
Solomon Builds the Temple (continued)
¹⁹He prepared the inner sanctuary at the far end of the Temple, where the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant would be placed. ²⁰This inner sanctuary was 30 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 30 feet high. He overlaid the inside with solid gold. He also overlaid the altar made of cedar. ²¹Then Solomon overlaid the rest of the Temple’s interior with solid gold, and he made gold chains to protect the entrance to the Most Holy Place. ²²So he finished overlaying the entire Temple with gold, including the altar that belonged to the Most Holy Place.
²³He made two cherubim of wild olive wood, each 15 feet tall, and placed them in the inner sanctuary. ²⁴The wingspan of each of the cherubim was 15 feet, each wing being 7 1⁄2 feet long. ²⁵The two cherubim were identical in shape and size; ²⁶each was 15 feet tall. ²⁷He placed them side by side in the inner sanctuary of the Temple. Their outspread wings reached from wall to wall, while their inner wings touched at the center of the room. ²⁸He overlaid the two cherubim with gold.
²⁹He decorated all the walls of the inner sanctuary and the main room with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. ³⁰He overlaid the floor in both rooms with gold.
³¹For the entrance to the inner sanctuary, he made double doors of wild olive wood with five-sided doorposts. ³²These double doors were decorated with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. The doors, including the decorations of cherubim and palm trees, were overlaid with gold.
³³Then he made four-sided doorposts of wild olive wood for the entrance to the Temple. ³⁴There were two folding doors of cypress wood, and each door was hinged to fold back upon itself. ³⁵These doors were decorated with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers—all overlaid evenly with gold.
³⁶The walls of the inner courtyard were built so that there was one layer of cedar beams between every three layers of finished stone.
³⁷The foundation of the Lord’s Temple was laid in midspring, in the month of Ziv0, during the fourth year of Solomon’s reign. ³⁸ The entire building was completed in every detail by midautumn, in the month of Bul, during the eleventh year of his reign. So it took seven years to build the Temple.

Examine the Scriptures

1 Kings 6:19-38 NLT
Solomon Builds the Temple (continued)

¹⁹He prepared the inner sanctuary at the far end of the Temple, where the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant would be placed.

What was inside the inner sanctuary?

1. The Ark of the Covenant

This was the central and most important item.

It was a sacred chest that held the stone tablets of the Law (the Ten Commandments)

It represented God’s covenant with Israel and His presence among His people.

1. The Mercy Seat (Atonement Cover)

The lid of the Ark, made of pure gold.

It was considered the place where God’s presence was especially manifested.

This is where the high priest would sprinkle blood on the Day of Atonement.

1. Two Large Cherubim

Majestic, powerful, Heavenly beings carved from olive wood and overlaid with gold.

They stood inside the inner sanctuary with wings outstretched, spanning the width of the room.

Their wings overshadowed the Ark, symbolizing divine protection and the throne of God.

Read:

Exodus 25:17-22 NLT (Plans for the Tabernacle)

¹⁷“Then make the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—from pure gold. It must be 45 inches long and 27 inches wide. ¹⁸Then make two cherubim from hammered gold, and place them on the two ends of the atonement cover. ¹⁹Mold the cherubim on each end of the atonement cover, making it all of one piece of gold. ²⁰The cherubim will face each other and look down on the atonement cover. With their wings spread above it, they will protect it. ²¹Place inside the Ark the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, which I will give to you. Then put the atonement cover on top of the Ark. ²²I will meet with you there and talk to you from above the atonement cover between the gold cherubim that hover over the Ark of the Covenant. From there I will give you my commands for the people of Israel.

The inner sanctuary was God’s dwelling place on earth in a symbolic sense. Only the high priest could enter—and only once a year—highlighting how holy and set apart it was.

The inner sanctuary was at the far end of the Temple, where the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant was placed.

The inner sanctuary was God’s dwelling place on earth, in a symbolic sense.

More about the Tabernacle.

Read:

Leviticus 16:11-15 NLT (Plans for the Tabernacle)
(Leviticus 16 tells about The Day of Atonement)

¹¹“Aaron will present his own bull as a sin offering to purify himself and his family, making them right with the Lord. After he has slaughtered the bull as a sin offering, ¹²he will fill an incense burner with burning coals from the altar that stands before the Lord. Then he will take two handfuls of fragrant powdered incense and will carry the burner and the incense behind the inner curtain. ¹³There in the Lord’s presence he will put the incense on the burning coals so that a cloud of incense will rise over the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—that rests on the Ark of the Covenant. If he follows these instructions, he will not die. ¹⁴Then he must take some of the blood of the bull, dip his finger in it, and sprinkle it on the east side of the atonement cover. He must sprinkle blood seven times with his finger in front of the atonement cover.
¹⁵“Then Aaron must slaughter the first goat as a sin offering for the people and carry its blood behind the inner curtain. There he will sprinkle the goat’s blood over the atonement cover and in front of it, just as he did with the bull’s blood.

The High Priest annually made propitiation for the Israelites by sprinkling the sacrificial goat’s blood over the atonement cover.

²⁰This inner sanctuary was 30 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 30 feet high. He overlaid the inside with solid gold. He also overlaid the altar made of cedar.

Gold represents what is:

Precious

Rare

Highly valued

This reflects God’s holiness, majesty, and radiant glory.

Gold also represents the brilliance and purity of God’s presence.

Pure gold does not tarnish or corrode, which made it a natural symbol of:

Moral purity

Perfection

Set-apart holiness

Access to God is precious and holy.

²¹Then Solomon overlaid the rest of the Temple’s interior with solid gold, and he made gold chains to protect the entrance to the Most Holy Place.

²²So he finished overlaying the entire Temple with gold,

The altar

including the altar that belonged to the Most Holy Place.

Exodus 30:1-10 NLT (Discussing the Tabernacle)
Plans for the Incense Altar

^30:1 “Then make another altar of acacia wood for burning incense. ²Make it 18 inches square and 36 inches high, with horns at the corners carved from the same piece of wood as the altar itself. ³Overlay the top, sides, and horns of the altar with pure gold, and run a gold molding around the entire altar. ⁴Make two gold rings, and attach them on opposite sides of the altar below the gold molding to hold the carrying poles. ⁵Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. ⁶Place the incense altar just outside the inner curtain that shields the Ark of the Covenant, in front of the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—that covers the tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant. I will meet with you there.
⁷“Every morning when Aaron maintains the lamps, he must burn fragrant incense on the altar. ⁸And each evening when he lights the lamps, he must again burn incense in the Lord’s presence. This must be done from generation to generation. ⁹Do not offer any unholy incense on this altar, or any burnt offerings, grain offerings, or liquid offerings.
¹⁰“Once a year Aaron must purify the altar by smearing its horns with blood from the offering made to purify the people from their sin. This will be a regular, annual event from generation to generation, for this is the Lord’s most holy altar.”

This altar was inside the temple building, in the Holy Place (the first room), just in front of the inner sanctuary (Holy of Holies)

²³He made two cherubim of wild olive wood, each 15 feet tall, and placed them in the inner sanctuary.

Two massive cherubim are constructed and placed in the inner sanctuary.

The cherubim were to stand as sentries.

Exodus 25:18-20 NLT (repeated from verse 19)
¹⁸Then make two cherubim from hammered gold, and place them on the two ends of the atonement cover. ¹⁹Mold the cherubim on each end of the atonement cover, making it all of one piece of gold. ²⁰The cherubim will face each other and look down on the atonement cover. With their wings spread above it, they will protect it.

Take a look back to Genesis.

Genesis 3:24 NLT
²⁴After sending them out, the Lord God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And he placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

Cherubim in Psalms.

Psalm 80:1
¹… O God, enthroned above the cherubim,
display your radiant glory

Cherubim are heavenly beings who guard, surround, and reflect the glory and holiness of God’s presence.

²⁴The wingspan of each of the cherubim was 15 feet, each wing being 7 1⁄2 feet long. ²⁵The two cherubim were identical in shape and size; ²⁶each was 15 feet tall. ²⁷He placed them side by side in the inner sanctuary of the Temple. Their outspread wings reached from wall to wall, while their inner wings touched at the center of the room. ²⁸He overlaid the two cherubim with gold.

²⁹He decorated all the walls of the inner sanctuary and the main room with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers.

The depiction of cherubim and beautiful trees and flowers is reminiscent of the Garden of Eden.

³⁰He overlaid the floor in both rooms with gold.

More Gold. More of God’s holiness, majesty, and radiant glory.

³¹For the entrance to the inner sanctuary, he made double doors of wild olive wood with five-sided doorposts.

Decorated carved doors separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.

Some commentators believe these doors were sliding doors.

³²These double doors were decorated with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. The doors, including the decorations of cherubim and palm trees, were overlaid with gold.

These doors were also decorated with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers.

These doors function like the veil in the Tabernacle.

There is restricted access to God’s immediate presence.

Only the high priest could enter, and only once a year. (Leviticus 16)

Beautifully decorated carved doors separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.

In Solomon’s Temple, the entrance to the Most Holy Place may have involved both a wooden door and a curtain working together.

2 Chronicles 3:14 NLT
¹⁴Across the entrance of the Most Holy Place he hung a curtain made of fine linen, decorated with blue, purple, and scarlet thread and embroidered with figures of cherubim.

³³Then he made four-sided doorposts of wild olive wood for the entrance to the Temple. ³⁴There were two folding doors of cypress wood, and each door was hinged to fold back upon itself. ³⁵These doors were decorated with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers—all overlaid evenly with gold.

³⁶The walls of the inner courtyard were built so that there was one layer of cedar beams between every three layers of finished stone.

³⁷The foundation of the Lord’s Temple was laid in midspring, in the month of Ziv, during the fourth year of Solomon’s reign. ³⁸ The entire building was completed in every detail by midautumn, in the month of Bul, during the eleventh year of his reign. So it took seven years to build the Temple.

It took seven years to build the Temple. (Actually 7 ½ years.)

The number 7 often symbolizes completion and perfection in Scripture.

Solomon Builds the Temple

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Solomon Builds the Temple

Introduction:

After arrangements for building the temple were in order, construction began. The temple will take seven years to complete.

David had stored up materials to be used in the construction of the temple (1 Chronicles 22:2-4, 14) and had drawn up plans for the temple and had given them to Solomon (1 Chronicles 28:11-12)

Review:

1 Chronicles 22:2-4, 14-16 NLT (We read vv. 2-4 previously)
²So David gave orders to call together the foreigners living in Israel, and he assigned them the task of preparing finished stone for building the Temple of God. ³David provided large amounts of iron for the nails that would be needed for the doors in the gates and for the clamps, and he gave more bronze than could be weighed. ⁴He also provided innumerable cedar logs, for the men of Tyre and Sidon had brought vast amounts of cedar to David.

¹⁴ “I have worked hard to provide materials for building the Temple of the Lord—nearly 4,000 tons of gold, 40,000 tons of silver, and so much iron and bronze that it cannot be weighed. I have also gathered timber and stone for the walls, though you may need to add more. ¹⁵ You have a large number of skilled stonemasons and carpenters and craftsmen of every kind. ¹⁶ You have expert goldsmiths and silversmiths and workers of bronze and iron. Now begin the work, and may the Lord be with you!”

1 Chronicles 28:11-12 NLT
¹¹Then David gave Solomon the plans for the Temple and its surroundings, including the entry room, the storerooms, the upstairs rooms, the inner rooms, and the inner sanctuary—which was the place of atonement. ¹²David also gave Solomon all the plans he had in mind for the courtyards of the Lord’s Temple, the outside rooms, the treasuries, and the rooms for the gifts dedicated to the Lord.

1 Kings 6:1-18 NLT
Solomon Builds the Temple
^6:1 It was in midspring, in the month of Ziv, during the fourth year of Solomon’s reign, that he began to construct the Temple of the Lord. This was 480 years after the people of Israel were rescued from their slavery in the land of Egypt.
²The Temple that King Solomon built for the Lord was 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high.
³The entry room at the front of the Temple was 30 feet wide, running across the entire width of the Temple. It projected outward 15 feet from the front of the Temple. ⁴Solomon also made narrow recessed windows throughout the Temple.
⁵He built a complex of rooms against the outer walls of the Temple, all the way around the sides and rear of the building. ⁶The complex was three stories high, the bottom floor being 7 1⁄2 feet wide, the second floor 9 feet wide, and the top floor 10 1⁄2 feet wide. The rooms were connected to the walls of the Temple by beams resting on ledges built out from the wall. So the beams were not inserted into the walls themselves.
⁷The stones used in the construction of the Temple were finished at the quarry, so there was no sound of hammer, ax, or any other iron tool at the building site.
⁸The entrance to the bottom floor was on the south side of the Temple. There were winding stairs going up to the second floor, and another flight of stairs between the second and third floors. ⁹After completing the Temple structure, Solomon put in a ceiling made of cedar beams and planks. ¹⁰As already stated, he built a complex of rooms along the sides of the building, attached to the Temple walls by cedar timbers. Each story of the complex was 7 1⁄2 feet high.<BR<>¹¹Then the Lord gave this message to Solomon: ¹²“Concerning this Temple you are building, if you keep all my decrees and regulations and obey all my commands, I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father, David. ¹³I will live among the Israelites and will never abandon my people Israel.”

The Temple’s Interior
¹⁴So Solomon finished building the Temple. ¹⁵The entire inside, from floor to ceiling, was paneled with wood. He paneled the walls and ceilings with cedar, and he used planks of cypress for the floors. ¹⁶He partitioned off an inner sanctuary—the Most Holy Place—at the far end of the Temple. It was 30 feet deep and was paneled with cedar from floor to ceiling. ¹⁷The main room of the Temple, outside the Most Holy Place, was 60 feet long. ¹⁸Cedar paneling completely covered the stone walls throughout the Temple, and the paneling was decorated with carvings of gourds and open flowers.

Examine the Scriptures

1 Kings 6:1-18 NLT
Solomon Builds the Temple

^6:1 It was in midspring, in the month of Ziv,

This month of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar usually occurs within the months of April and May on our calendar.

during the fourth year of Solomon’s reign, that he began to construct the Temple of the Lord.

Dates of Solomon’s reign (971-931 B.C.)

Solomon began temple construction about 966 B.C. (or 967 B.C.)

God has given Israel peace “on every side.

The absence of war allowed the temple project to begin.

The time was right for the temple to be built.

Solomon’s Temple was built in Jerusalem, on Mount Moriah, later known as the Temple Mount.

Key details:

Exact location: Mount Moriah (later known as the Temple Mount)

2 Chronicles 3:1 NLT
Solomon Builds the Temple
^3:1 So Solomon began to build the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to David, his father. The Temple was built on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, the site that David had selected.

Also, in 2 Samuel 24:18-25 we read more details about David building an altar on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

This was the place where Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac.

Genesis 22:2 NLT
²“Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”

This was 480 years after the people of Israel were rescued from their slavery in the land of Egypt.

1 Kings 6:37 NLT
³⁷The foundation of the Lord’s Temple was laid in midspring, in the month of Ziv, during the fourth year of Solomon’s reign.

How long is 480 years.

480 years almost 2 times the age of America.

The temple represents a transition from a wandering people to an established nation with God dwelling among them.

²The Temple that King Solomon built for the Lord was 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high.

2 Chronicles 3:3 NLT
³These are the dimensions Solomon used for the foundation of the Temple of God (using the old standard of measurement). It was 90 feet long and 30 feet wide.

The “old standard of measurement” was a cubit equal to 18 inches. The new standard was a cubit of approximately 21 inches.

The Temple that King Solomon built for the LORD was 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high.

*Approximately double the size of the tabernacle, but laid out similar to the tabernacle.

90 X 30 = 2700 square feet. Compare that to the size of your house.

*Solomon’s palace was much larger than the temple and took 13 years to build.

By modern standards, the temple building itself was not enormous—about the size of a modest church or large house. However, its importance, craftsmanship, and materials (like cedar and gold) made it extraordinarily impressive.

*The temple sat within a larger courtyard complex, making the entire sacred area much bigger than the building itself.

While the exact size in Solomon’s time isn’t stated, many scholars believe:

The full sacred complex (courts + walls) may have been roughly:

~1,500 feet long

~500–1,000 feet wide

³The entry room at the front of the Temple was 30 feet wide, running across the entire width of the Temple. It projected outward 15 feet from the front of the Temple.

A porch about 15 feet long in front of the 90 foot x 30 foot structure.

⁴Solomon also made narrow recessed windows throughout the Temple.

These openings had lattices or shutters capable of being opened, shut, or partially opened.

Above the rooms

⁵He built a complex of rooms against the outer walls of the Temple, all the way around the sides and rear of the building.

Rooms to house temple personnel as well as rooms for storage.

⁶The complex was three stories high, the bottom floor being 7 1⁄2 feet wide, the second floor 9 feet wide, and the top floor 10 1⁄2 feet wide. The rooms were connected to the walls of the Temple by beams resting on ledges built out from the wall. So the beams were not inserted into the walls themselves.

The height of the rooms was 7 ½ feet. (v. 10)

The complex contained internal passageways and staircases.

Solomon built a complex of rooms against the outer walls of the Temple.

⁷The stones used in the construction of the Temple were finished at the quarry, so there was no sound of hammer, ax, or any other iron tool at the building site.

Exodus 20:25 NLT
²⁵If you use stones to build my altar, use only natural, uncut stones. Do not shape the stones with a tool, for that would make the altar unfit for holy use.

Deuteronomy 27:5-6 NLT
⁵“Then build an altar there to the Lord your God, using natural, uncut stones. You must not shape the stones with an iron tool. ⁶Build the altar of uncut stones, and use it to offer burnt offerings to the Lord your God.

A sacred undertaking.

Precut and prefitted materials.

Avoid noise at the sight.

Evidently Solomon wanted to preserve the sanctity of the temple even while it was under construction by eliminating as much noise as possible. (cf. Deut. 27:5-6).

The temple was built in reverent silence.

This reflects:

Holiness

Order

Care in approaching God

⁸The entrance to the bottom floor was on the south side of the Temple. There were winding stairs going up to the second floor, and another flight of stairs between the second and third floors. ⁹After completing the Temple structure, Solomon put in a ceiling made of cedar beams and planks. ¹⁰As already stated, he built a complex of rooms along the sides of the building, attached to the Temple walls by cedar timbers. Each story of the complex was 7 1⁄2 feet high.

Detour

¹¹Then the Lord gave this message to Solomon: ¹²“Concerning this Temple you are building, if you keep all my decrees and regulations and obey all my commands, I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father, David. ¹³I will live among the Israelites and will never abandon my people Israel.”

The temple was the place where God met with His people.

However:
A magnificent building does not guarantee God’s presence.

God repeated to Solomon the promise he had made to David.

The fulfillment of God’s word to David through his son was contingent on Solomon’s obedience to God’s commands.

1 Kings 2:3-4 NLT
David talking to Solomon
³Observe the requirements of the Lord your God, and follow all his ways. Keep the decrees, commands, regulations, and laws written in the Law of Moses so that you will be successful in all you do and wherever you go. ⁴If you do this, then the Lord will keep the promise he made to me. He told me, ‘If your descendants live as they should and follow me faithfully with all their heart and soul, one of them will always sit on the throne of Israel.’

1 Kings 3:14 NLT
The Lord speaking to Solomon
¹⁴And if you follow me and obey my decrees and my commands as your father, David, did, I will give you a long life.”

1 Kings 6:12 NLT
¹²“Concerning this Temple you are building, if you keep all my decrees and regulations and obey all my commands, I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father, David.

1 Kings 9:4-8 NLT
The Lord speaking to Solomon
⁴“As for you, if you will follow me with integrity and godliness, as David your father did, obeying all my commands, decrees, and regulations, ⁵then I will establish the throne of your dynasty over Israel forever. For I made this promise to your father, David: ‘One of your descendants will always sit on the throne of Israel.’
⁶“But if you or your descendants abandon me and disobey the commands and decrees I have given you, and if you serve and worship other gods, ⁷then I will uproot Israel from this land that I have given them. I will reject this Temple that I have made holy to honor my name. I will make Israel an object of mockery and ridicule among the nations. ⁸And though this Temple is impressive now, all who pass by will be appalled and will gasp in horror. They will ask, ‘Why did the Lord do such terrible things to this land and to this Temple?’

Leviticus 26 is an entire chapter discussing blessings for obedience and punishments for disobedience.

God speaks directly to Solomon:
“If you follow my decrees… I will live among the Israelites…”

Unfortunately, because Solomon did not remain faithful to the covenant completely, God divided his kingdom after he died. Because the nation forsook the covenant, God ceased to dwell among the people and forsook them temporarily to captivity.

God’s presence is not guaranteed by the building itself.

It is conditional on obedience.

The Temple’s Interior

Preparations for Building the Temple

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Preparations for Building the Temple

Introduction:

Solomon prepares to build the temple.

1 Kings 5:1-18 NLT
Preparations for Building the Temple
^5:1 King Hiram of Tyre had always been a loyal friend of David. When Hiram learned that David’s son Solomon was the new king of Israel, he sent ambassadors to congratulate him.
²Then Solomon sent this message back to Hiram:
³“You know that my father, David, was not able to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord his God because of the many wars waged against him by surrounding nations. He could not build until the Lord gave him victory over all his enemies. ⁴But now the Lord my God has given me peace on every side; I have no enemies, and all is well. ⁵So I am planning to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord my God, just as he had instructed my father, David. For the Lord told him, ‘Your son, whom I will place on your throne, will build the Temple to honor my name.’
⁶“Therefore, please command that cedars from Lebanon be cut for me. Let my men work alongside yours, and I will pay your men whatever wages you ask. As you know, there is no one among us who can cut timber like you Sidonians!”
⁷When Hiram received Solomon’s message, he was very pleased and said, “Praise the Lord today for giving David a wise son to be king of the great nation of Israel.” ⁸Then he sent this reply to Solomon:
“I have received your message, and I will supply all the cedar and cypress timber you need. ⁹My servants will bring the logs from the Lebanon mountains to the Mediterranean Sea and make them into rafts and float them along the coast to whatever place you choose. Then we will break the rafts apart so you can carry the logs away. You can pay me by supplying me with food for my household.”
¹⁰So Hiram supplied as much cedar and cypress timber as Solomon desired. ¹¹In return, Solomon sent him an annual payment of 100,000 bushels of wheat for his household and 110,000 gallons of pure olive oil. ¹²So the Lord gave wisdom to Solomon, just as he had promised. And Hiram and Solomon made a formal alliance of peace.
¹³Then King Solomon conscripted a labor force of 30,000 men from all Israel. ¹⁴He sent them to Lebanon in shifts, 10,000 every month, so that each man would be one month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of this labor force. ¹⁵Solomon also had 70,000 common laborers, 80,000 quarry workers in the hill country, ¹⁶and 3,600 foremen to supervise the work. ¹⁷At the king’s command, they quarried large blocks of high-quality stone and shaped them to make the foundation of the Temple. ¹⁸Men from the city of Gebal helped Solomon’s and Hiram’s builders prepare the timber and stone for the Temple.

Examine the Scriptures

1 Kings 5:1-18 NLT
Preparations for Building the Temple

^5:1 King Hiram of Tyre had always been a loyal friend of David.

Note: Here we are talking about David, not Solomon.

Previously:

We have talked about King Hiram in the past.

2 Samuel 5:11 NLT (1 Chronicles 14:1)
¹¹Then King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar timber and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built David a palace.

King Hiram provided David with:

Cedar timber
Carpenters
Stonemasons

The King of Tyre helped David build his palace.

Tyre: (refer to a map)

Tyre was an important Phoenician seaport on the Mediterranean coast north of Israel.(Tyre is part of Lebanon today)

Two towering mountain ranges ran within Lebanon’s borders, and on their steep slopes grew thick forests of cedars.

At this point in history, the Phoenicians dominated international sea trade.

At this point in history, Israel dominated the inland trade routes.

King Hiram formed an alliance with Israel (with David) for trading purposes.

Tyre was dependent on Israelite agriculture for much of its food.

King Hiram and King David had a good working relationship.

When Hiram learned that David’s son Solomon was the new king of Israel, he sent ambassadors to congratulate him.

²Then Solomon sent this message back to Hiram:

³“You know that my father, David, was not able to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord his God because of the many wars waged against him by surrounding nations. He could not build until the Lord gave him victory over all his enemies.

Although David was denied the privilege of building the temple, he did make plans and provisions for its construction.

Read:

1 Chronicles 22:2-5 NLT
Preparations for the Temple
²So David gave orders to call together the foreigners living in Israel, and he assigned them the task of preparing finished stone for building the Temple of God. ³David provided large amounts of iron for the nails that would be needed for the doors in the gates and for the clamps, and he gave more bronze than could be weighed. ⁴He also provided innumerable cedar logs, for the men of Tyre and Sidon had brought vast amounts of cedar to David.
⁵David said, “My son Solomon is still young and inexperienced. And since the Temple to be built for the Lord must be a magnificent structure, famous and glorious throughout the world, I will begin making preparations for it now.” So David collected vast amounts of building materials before his death.

God’s work often unfolds in stages—David prepared, Solomon built.

⁴But now the Lord my God has given me peace on every side; I have no enemies, and all is well.

God has given Israel peace “on every side.

The absence of war allowed the temple project to begin.

The time is right for the temple to be built.

⁵So I am planning to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord my God, just as he had instructed my father, David.

Background:

God speaking to the prophet Nathan, giving him a message to pass on to King David:

2 Samuel 7:12-13 NLT
¹²For when you (King David) die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. ¹³He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever.

For the Lord told him, ‘Your son, whom I will place on your throne, will build the Temple to honor my name.’

How does scripture describe the temple?

Deuteronomy 12:5 & 11 NLT
⁵Rather, you must seek the Lord your God at the place of worship he himself will choose from among all the tribes—the place where his name will be honored.

¹¹you must bring everything I command you—your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, your sacred offerings, and your offerings to fulfill a vow—to the designated place of worship, the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to be honored.

The Old Testament Temple was primarily understood as the earthly residence of God.

⁶“Therefore, please command that cedars from Lebanon be cut for me.

Cedar is a favored building material because of its beauty and durability.

Let my men work alongside yours, and I will pay your men whatever wages you ask. As you know, there is no one among us who can cut timber like you Sidonians!”

Sidon, another more important Phoenician port city at this time, stood about 22 miles north of Tyre.

Sidonians may have been a general name for the Phoenicians.

Wisdom includes recognizing who has the skills needed for God’s work.

God uses both His people and outsiders to accomplish His purposes.

A more detailed account of Solomon’s request to King Hiram is found in 2 Chronicles 2:3-10

Read:

2 Chronicles 2:3-10 NLT
³Solomon also sent this message to King Hiram at Tyre:
“Send me cedar logs as you did for my father, David, when he was building his palace. ⁴I am about to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord my God. It will be a place set apart to burn fragrant incense before him, to display the special sacrificial bread, and to sacrifice burnt offerings each morning and evening, on the Sabbaths, at new moon celebrations, and at the other appointed festivals of the Lord our God. He has commanded Israel to do these things forever.
⁵“This must be a magnificent Temple because our God is greater than all other gods. ⁶But who can really build him a worthy home? Not even the highest heavens can contain him! So who am I to consider building a Temple for him, except as a place to burn sacrifices to him?
⁷“So send me a master craftsman who can work with gold, silver, bronze, and iron, as well as with purple, scarlet, and blue cloth. He must be a skilled engraver who can work with the craftsmen of Judah and Jerusalem who were selected by my father, David.
⁸“Also send me cedar, cypress, and red sandalwood logs from Lebanon, for I know that your men are without equal at cutting timber in Lebanon. I will send my men to help them. ⁹An immense amount of timber will be needed, for the Temple I am going to build will be very large and magnificent. ¹⁰In payment for your woodcutters, I will send 100,000 bushels of crushed wheat, 100,000 bushels of barley, 110,000 gallons of wine, and 110,000 gallons of olive oil.”

⁷When Hiram received Solomon’s message, he was very pleased and said, “Praise the Lord today for giving David a wise son to be king of the great nation of Israel.”

A Gentile recognizes God’s blessing on the people of Israel.

In this culture it was common practice for people of one nation to recognize the deities of another nation.

Hiram likely was not recognizing Israel’s God as his own. He was most likely politely recognizing Solomon’s God.

⁸Then he sent this reply to Solomon:

“I have received your message, and I will supply all the cedar and cypress timber you need. ⁹My servants will bring the logs from the Lebanon mountains to the Mediterranean Sea and make them into rafts and float them along the coast to whatever place you choose. Then we will break the rafts apart so you can carry the logs away.

From Jerusalem to the nearest point on the Mediterranean coast was about 35–45 miles in a straight line. Traveling by road would be roughly 40–55 miles.

Getting the logs from the Lebanon Mountains to the city of Jerusalem would have been an incredible task.

You can pay me by supplying me with food for my household.”

Repeat: Tyre was dependent on Israelite agriculture for much of its food.

¹⁰So Hiram supplied as much cedar and cypress timber as Solomon desired. ¹¹In return, Solomon sent him an annual payment of 100,000 bushels of wheat for his household and 110,000 gallons of pure olive oil. ¹²So the Lord gave wisdom to Solomon, just as he had promised.

And Hiram and Solomon made a formal alliance of peace.

Similar to the alliance King David had with King Hiram.

The alliance between Israel and Phoenicia resulted in peace for many years. Tyre was dependent on Israelite agriculture for much of its food. Israel needed lumber from the Lebanon Mountains (Tyre).

¹³Then King Solomon conscripted a labor force of 30,000 men from all Israel. ¹⁴He sent them to Lebanon in shifts, 10,000 every month, so that each man would be one month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of this labor force.

1 Kings 9:15, 21-22 NLT
¹⁵This is the account of the forced labor that King Solomon conscripted to build the Lord’s Temple, the royal palace, the supporting terraces, the wall of Jerusalem, and the cities of Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.

²¹These were descendants of the nations whom the people of Israel had not completely destroyed. So Solomon conscripted them as slaves, and they serve as forced laborers to this day. ²²But Solomon did not conscript any of the Israelites for forced labor. Instead, he assigned them to serve as fighting men, government officials, officers and captains in his army, commanders of his chariots, and charioteers. 23 Solomon appointed 550 of them to supervise the people working on his various projects.

2 Chronicles 8:7-8 NLT
⁷There were still some people living in the land who were not Israelites, including the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. ⁸These were descendants of the nations whom the people of Israel had not destroyed. So Solomon conscripted them for his labor force, and they serve as forced laborers to this day.

Solomon’s method of providing workers for state projects eventually became very distasteful to the people.

1 Kings 12:18 NLT (2 Chronicles 10:18)
¹⁸King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, who was in charge of forced labor, to restore order, but the people of Israel stoned him to death. When this news reached King Rehoboam, he quickly jumped into his chariot and fled to Jerusalem.

¹⁵Solomon also had 70,000 common laborers, 80,000 quarry workers in the hill country,

Scripture does not clearly state where all this labor came from.

It may have all been forced labor.

It could have included Israelites who were not “forced labor”. (Rather a form of state labor.)

¹⁶and 3,600 foremen to supervise the work.

These are most likely native Israelites.

Overall, it took a lot of people to build the temple.

Organization and administration are essential in carrying out God’s work.

¹⁷At the king’s command, they quarried large blocks of high-quality stone and shaped them to make the foundation of the Temple.

Quarried at a nearby quarry:

1 Kings 6:7 NLT
⁷The stones used in the construction of the Temple were finished at the quarry, so there was no sound of hammer, ax, or any other iron tool at the building site.

Work is done with precision before assembly.

Transportation of these stones to Jerusalem would require enormous manpower.

¹⁸Men from the city of Gebal helped Solomon’s and Hiram’s builders prepare the timber and stone for the Temple.

The Gebelites lived 60 miles north of Tyre.

This story emphasizes the favorable relationship between King Solomon of Israel and the Phoenician king, Hiram.

Proverbs 16:7 NLT (almost certainly written by Solomon)
⁷When people’s lives please the Lord,
even their enemies are at peace with them.

God Uses Both His People and Outsiders.

Phoenicians contributed significantly to the temple. (Labor and materials.)

When people’s lives please the LORD, even their enemies are at peace with them. (Proverbs 16:7 NLT)

Solomon’s Administration of Israel

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Solomon’s Administration of Israel

Introduction:

Solomon does some things well in the beginning of his reign as Israel’s king. We do see, however, that Satan is already “getting his foot in the door”.

1 Kings 4:1-34 NLT
Solomon’s Officials and Governors
^4:1 King Solomon now ruled over all Israel,
²and these were his high officials:
Azariah son of Zadok was the priest.
³Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, were court secretaries.
Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the royal historian.
⁴Benaiah son of Jehoiada was commander of the army.
Zadok and Abiathar were priests.
⁵Azariah son of Nathan was in charge of the district governors.
Zabud son of Nathan, a priest, was a trusted adviser to the king.
⁶Ahishar was manager of the palace property.
Adoniram son of Abda was in charge of forced labor.
⁷Solomon also had twelve district governors who were over all Israel. They were responsible for providing food for the king’s household. Each of them arranged provisions for one month of the year. ⁸These are the names of the twelve governors:
Ben-hur, in the hill country of Ephraim.
⁹Ben-deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh, and Elon-bethhanan.
¹⁰Ben-hesed, in Arubboth, including Socoh and all the land of Hepher.
¹¹Ben-abinadab, in all of Naphoth-dor. (He was married to Taphath, one of Solomon’s daughters.)
¹²Baana son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Megiddo, all of Beth-shan near Zarethan below Jezreel, and all the territory from Beth-shan to Abel-meholah and over to Jokmeam.
¹³Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead, including the Towns of Jair (named for Jair of the tribe of Manasseh) in Gilead, and in the Argob region of Bashan, including sixty large fortified towns with bronze bars on their gates.
¹⁴Ahinadab son of Iddo, in Mahanaim.
¹⁵Ahimaaz, in Naphtali. (He was married to Basemath, another of Solomon’s daughters.)
¹⁶Baana son of Hushai, in Asher and in Aloth.
¹⁷Jehoshaphat son of Paruah, in Issachar.
¹⁸Shimei son of Ela, in Benjamin.
¹⁹Geber son of Uri, in the land of Gilead including the territories of King Sihon of the Amorites and King Og of Bashan.
There was also one governor over the land of Judah.

Solomon’s Prosperity and Wisdom
²⁰The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They were very contented, with plenty to eat and drink. ²¹Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River in the north to the land of the Philistines and the border of Egypt in the south. The conquered peoples of those lands sent tribute money to Solomon and continued to serve him throughout his lifetime.
²²The daily food requirements for Solomon’s palace were 150 bushels of choice flour and 300 bushels of meal; ²³also 10 oxen from the fattening pens, 20 pasture-fed cattle, 100 sheep or goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roe deer, and choice poultry.
²⁴Solomon’s dominion extended over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah to Gaza. And there was peace on all his borders. ²⁵During the lifetime of Solomon, all of Judah and Israel lived in peace and safety. And from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, each family had its own home and garden.
²⁶Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his chariot horses, and he had 12,000 horses
²⁷The district governors faithfully provided food for King Solomon and his court; each made sure nothing was lacking during the month assigned to him. ²⁸They also brought the necessary barley and straw for the royal horses in the stables.
²⁹God gave Solomon very great wisdom and understanding, and knowledge as vast as the sands of the seashore. ³⁰In fact, his wisdom exceeded that of all the wise men of the East and the wise men of Egypt. ³¹He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite and the sons of Mahol—Heman, Calcol, and Darda. His fame spread throughout all the surrounding nations. ³²He composed some 3,000 proverbs and wrote 1,005 songs. ³³He could speak with authority about all kinds of plants, from the great cedar of Lebanon to the tiny hyssop that grows from cracks in a wall. He could also speak about animals, birds, small creatures, and fish. ³⁴And kings from every nation sent their ambassadors to listen to the wisdom of Solomon.

Examine the Scriptures

Solomon’s Administration of Israel

1 Kings 4:1-34 NLT
Solomon’s Officials and Governors

^4:1 King Solomon now ruled over all Israel,

Solomon ruled over an undivided kingdom, as his father had before him at the end of his reign.

2 Samuel 8:15 NLT
¹⁵So David reigned over all Israel and did what was just and right for all his people.

Israel is now functioning as one nation under Solomon’s rule.

Rather than a loose tribal confederation.

A tribal confederation is a loose alliance of independent tribes that come together for shared purposes—such as defense, leadership, religion, or survival—while still maintaining their own identity and local authority.

The kingdom under Solomon’s rule was unified and stable.

King Solomon ruled over all of Israel.

²and these were his high officials:
Azariah son of Zadok was the (high) priest.
³Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, were court secretaries.
Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the royal historian.
⁴Benaiah son of Jehoiada was commander of the army.
Zadok and Abiathar were priests.
⁵Azariah son of Nathan was in charge of the district governors.
Zabud son of Nathan, a priest, was a trusted adviser to the king.
⁶Ahishar was manager of the palace property.
Adoniram son of Abda was in charge of forced labor.

Solomon’s governmental officials included:

A high priest
Court secretaries
A royal historian
A commander of the army
Priests
A person in charge of the district governors
A trusted advisor
A manager of the palace property
A person in charge of forced labor (More about this in vs. 21-22)

Solomon developed an organized and highly structured government.

1 Corinthians 14:40 NLT
⁴⁰But be sure that everything is done properly and in order.

Solomon delegated authority to capable leaders.

⁷Solomon also had twelve district governors who were over all Israel. They were responsible for providing food for the king’s household. Each of them arranged provisions for one month of the year.

Solomon’s twelve districts did not exactly coincide with the old tribal allotments.

Each of Solomon’s twelve districts was responsible for providing for the king’s household for one month each year.

⁸These are the names of the twelve governors:

Ben-hur, in the hill country of Ephraim.
⁹Ben-deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh, and Elon-bethhanan.
¹⁰Ben-hesed, in Arubboth, including Socoh and all the land of Hepher.
¹¹Ben-abinadab, in all of Naphoth-dor. (He was married to Taphath, one of Solomon’s daughters.)
¹²Baana son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Megiddo, all of Beth-shan near Zarethan below Jezreel, and all the territory from Beth-shan to Abel-meholah and over to Jokmeam.
¹³Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead, including the Towns of Jair (named for Jair of the tribe of Manasseh) in Gilead, and in the Argob region of Bashan, including sixty large fortified towns with bronze bars on their gates.
¹⁴Ahinadab son of Iddo, in Mahanaim.
¹⁵Ahimaaz, in Naphtali. (He was married to Basemath, another of Solomon’s daughters.)
¹⁶Baana son of Hushai, in Asher and in Aloth.
¹⁷Jehoshaphat son of Paruah, in Issachar.
¹⁸Shimei son of Ela, in Benjamin.
¹⁹Geber son of Uri, in the land of Gilead including the territories of King Sihon of the Amorites and King Og of Bashan.

There was also one governor over the land of Judah.

Solomon’s Prosperity and Wisdom

²⁰The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore.

Review God’s promise to Abraham.

Genesis 22:17 NLT God speaking to Abraham
¹⁷I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies.

They were very contented, with plenty to eat and drink.

Solomon displayed great wisdom in the early years of his kingship, and as a result, Judah and Israel prospered and “were very contented, with plenty to eat and drink.”

The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore.

The people of Israel and Judah were experiencing a growth in population, peace, and prosperity.

²¹Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River in the north to the land of the Philistines and the border of Egypt in the south.

Refer to a map.

Review God’s covenant with Abram.

Genesis 15:18 NLT
¹⁸So the Lord made a covenant with Abram that day and said, “I have given this land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt to the great Euphrates River—

God’s nature is perfectly truthful—He cannot lie.

Everything God says is reliable, pure, and trustworthy.

Hebrews 6:18 NLT
¹⁸So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie.

Numbers 23:19 NLT
¹⁹God is not a man, so he does not lie.
He is not human, so he does not change his mind.
Has he ever spoken and failed to act?
Has he ever promised and not carried it through?

The conquered peoples of those lands sent tribute money to Solomon and continued to serve him throughout his lifetime.

The non-Israelite communities did not lose their identity and territory, but rather recognized Solomon’s authority and brought him tribute without giving up their land.

“Satan’s foot in the door.”

1 Kings 9:20-21 NLT
²⁰There were still some people living in the land who were not Israelites, including Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. ²¹These were descendants of the nations whom the people of Israel had not completely destroyed. So Solomon conscripted them as slaves, and they serve as forced laborers to this day.

These inhabitants should have been destroyed.

Deuteronomy 20:16-18 NLT
¹⁶In those towns that the Lord your God is giving you as a special possession, destroy every living thing. ¹⁷You must completely destroy the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, just as the Lord your God has commanded you. ¹⁸This will prevent the people of the land from teaching you to imitate their detestable customs in the worship of their gods, which would cause you to sin deeply against the Lord your God.

2 Chronicles 2:17 NLT
¹⁷ Solomon took a census of all foreigners in the land of Israel, like the census his father had taken, and he counted 153,600.

1 Kings 5:13-14 NLT
¹³Then King Solomon conscripted a labor force of 30,000 men from all Israel. ¹⁴He sent them to Lebanon in shifts, 10,000 every month, so that each man would be one month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of this labor force.

1 Kings 9:15 NLT
¹⁵This is the account of the forced labor that King Solomon conscripted to build the Lord’s Temple, the royal palace, the supporting terraces, the wall of Jerusalem, and the cities of Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.

Solomon’s kingdom included non-Israelite communities.

Non-Israelites sent tribute money to Solomon and continued to serve him throughout his lifetime.

Solomon conscripted non-Israelites as slaves, and they served as forced laborers.

²²The daily food requirements for Solomon’s palace were 150 bushels of choice flour and 300 bushels of meal; ²³also 10 oxen from the fattening pens, 20 pasture-fed cattle, 100 sheep or goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roe deer, and choice poultry.

Maintaining the royal court was costly.

This lifestyle appears to be excessive. (Satan’s foot in the door)
(Continued in v. 27)

²⁴Solomon’s dominion extended over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah to Gaza. And there was peace on all his borders.

Refer to a map.

²⁵During the lifetime of Solomon, all of Judah and Israel lived in peace and safety.

And from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, each family had its own home and garden.

The people of Solomon’s kingdom experienced God’s blessings of personal security, economic stability, and domestic peace.

²⁶Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his chariot horses, and he had 12,000 horses.

Note:

“Satan’s foot in the door.”

Deuteronomy 17:16 NLT
¹⁶“The king must not build up a large stable of horses for himself or send his people to Egypt to buy horses, for the Lord has told you, ‘You must never return to Egypt.’

1 Kings 10:26-29 NLT
²⁶Solomon built up a huge force of chariots and horses. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. He stationed some of them in the chariot cities and some near him in Jerusalem. ²⁷The king made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stone. And valuable cedar timber was as common as the sycamore-fig trees that grow in the foothills of Judah. ²⁸Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from Cilicia; the king’s traders acquired them from Cilicia at the standard price. ²⁹At that time chariots from Egypt could be purchased for 600 pieces of silver, and horses for 150 pieces of silver. They were then exported to the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram.

Note:

Horses = military power in the ancient world (especially chariots).

Egypt was known for supplying horses and chariots.

God did not want his people to trust in military strength. God wants his people to trust in him.

God does not want his people to relying on foreign alliances (especially Egypt).

Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his chariot horses, and he had 12,000 horses.

²⁷The district governors faithfully provided food for King Solomon and his court; each made sure nothing was lacking during the month assigned to him. ²⁸They also brought the necessary barley and straw for the royal horses in the stables.

The district governors faithfully provided food for King Solomon and his court.

A form of taxation

Samuel Warns against a Kingdom

1 Samuel 8:10-17 NLT
¹⁰So Samuel passed on the Lord’s warning to the people who were asking him for a king. ¹¹“This is how a king will reign over you,” Samuel said. “The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before his chariots. ¹²Some will be generals and captains in his army, some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment. ¹³The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him. ¹⁴He will take away the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his own officials. ¹⁵He will take a tenth of your grain and your grape harvest and distribute it among his officers and attendants. ¹⁶He will take your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your cattle and donkeys for his own use. ¹⁷He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you will be his slaves.

²⁹God gave Solomon very great wisdom and understanding, and knowledge as vast as the sands of the seashore.

God gave Solomon very great wisdom and understanding, and knowledge as vast as the sands of the seashore.

³⁰In fact, his wisdom exceeded that of all the wise men of the East and the wise men of Egypt. ³¹He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite and the sons of Mahol—Heman, Calcol, and Darda. His fame spread throughout all the surrounding nations. ³²He composed some 3,000 proverbs and wrote 1,005 songs. ³³He could speak with authority about all kinds of plants, from the great cedar of Lebanon to the tiny hyssop that grows from cracks in a wall. He could also speak about animals, birds, small creatures, and fish. ³⁴And kings from every nation sent their ambassadors to listen to the wisdom of Solomon.

People “from every nation” came to hear the wisdom of Solomon.

Solomon Judges Wisely

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Solomon Judges Wisely

Introduction:

Today’s passage is very familiar to many people. It is a story of King Solomon using his God-given wisdom.

Two prostitutes come before King Solomon with a dispute over a living baby. Both women had given birth, but one child died during the night. Each claims the living child as her own.

1 Kings 3:16-28 NLT
Solomon Judges Wisely
¹⁶Some time later two prostitutes came to the king to have an argument settled. ¹⁷“Please, my lord,” one of them began, “this woman and I live in the same house. I gave birth to a baby while she was with me in the house. ¹⁸Three days later this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there were only two of us in the house.
¹⁹“But her baby died during the night when she rolled over on it. ²⁰Then she got up in the night and took my son from beside me while I was asleep. She laid her dead child in my arms and took mine to sleep beside her. ²¹And in the morning when I tried to nurse my son, he was dead! But when I looked more closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn’t my son at all.”
²²Then the other woman interrupted, “It certainly was your son, and the living child is mine.”
“No,” the first woman said, “the living child is mine, and the dead one is yours.” And so they argued back and forth before the king.
²³Then the king said, “Let’s get the facts straight. Both of you claim the living child is yours, and each says that the dead one belongs to the other. ²⁴All right, bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought to the king.
²⁵Then he said, “Cut the living child in two, and give half to one woman and half to the other!”
²⁶Then the woman who was the real mother of the living child, and who loved him very much, cried out, “Oh no, my lord! Give her the child—please do not kill him!”
But the other woman said, “All right, he will be neither yours nor mine; divide him between us!”
²⁷Then the king said, “Do not kill the child, but give him to the woman who wants him to live, for she is his mother!”
²⁸When all Israel heard the king’s decision, the people were in awe of the king, for they saw the wisdom God had given him for rendering justice.

Examine the Scriptures

1 Kings 3:16-28 NLT

Solomon Judges Wisely

¹⁶Some time later two prostitutes came to the king to have an argument settled.

The Israelite king represented the highest court of appeal.

It was possible to bypass lower judicial officers.

Difficult or unresolved cases could be brought before the king.

Lower judicial officers did exist:

Deuteronomy 16:18 NLT
Justice for the People
¹⁸“Appoint judges and officials for yourselves from each of your tribes in all the towns the Lord your God is giving you. They must judge the people fairly.

This is not the only time individuals appealed to the king of Israel:

2 Samuel 15:2 NLT
²He (Absalom) got up early every morning and went out to the gate of the city. When people brought a case to the king for judgment, Absalom would ask where in Israel they were from, and they would tell him their tribe.

2 Kings 8:1-3 NLT
The Woman from Shunem Returns Home
^8:1 Elisha had told the woman whose son he had brought back to life, “Take your family and move to some other place, for the Lord has called for a famine on Israel that will last for seven years.” ²So the woman did as the man of God instructed. She took her family and settled in the land of the Philistines for seven years.
³After the famine ended she returned from the land of the Philistines, and she went to see the king about getting back her house and land.

Two prostitutes came to King Solomon to have an argument settled.

¹⁷“Please, my lord,” one of them began, “this woman and I live in the same house.

While the law condemned prostitution (Leviticus 19:29 and Deuteronomy 23:18), it still existed in Israel.

Brothels were common in ancient Near Eastern cities.

Though these women were the most despised class of women in Israel, Solomon demonstrated his kindness and availability to all people.

Deuteronomy 23:18 says that prostitutes were detestable to the Lord.

Solomon was willing to give these women a fair hearing—showing justice is for all people.

Solomon’s court was open even to the lowest members of society.

I gave birth to a baby while she was with me in the house. ¹⁸Three days later this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there were only two of us in the house.

There were no other witnesses. This a judge’s worst-case scenario. It was one person’s word against another person’s word.

There were no other witnesses. This was a case of one person’s word against another person’s word.

The testimony of a prostitute would not have much credibility to most people.

The Lack of Evidence: Because they were alone in the house, there were no witnesses. In ancient Near Eastern law, cases usually required two or three witnesses. Without them, it was one person’s word against another’s—a “hard case” that only a divinely inspired king could solve.

Deuteronomy 19:15 NLT
¹⁵“You must not convict anyone of a crime on the testimony of only one witness. The facts of the case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

Paul quotes Deuteronomy 19:15 in 2 Corinthians:

2 Corinthians 13:1 NLT
^13:1 This is the third time I am coming to visit you (and as the Scriptures say, “The facts of every case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses”).

¹⁹“But her baby died during the night when she rolled over on it. ²⁰Then she got up in the night and took my son from beside me while I was asleep. She laid her dead child in my arms and took mine to sleep beside her. ²¹And in the morning when I tried to nurse my son, he was dead! But when I looked more closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn’t my son at all.”
²²Then the other woman interrupted, “It certainly was your son, and the living child is mine.”
“No,” the first woman said, “the living child is mine, and the dead one is yours.” And so they argued back and forth before the king.

Jeremiah 17:9 NLT
⁹“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
and desperately wicked.
Who really knows how bad it is?

Solomon is dealing with deceit, desperation, and lies, with no witnesses to support either argument.

²³Then the king said, “Let’s get the facts straight. Both of you claim the living child is yours, and each says that the dead one belongs to the other.

Solomon was a good listener.

Solomon restates the case.

The issue is accurately defined.

This highlights the difficulty: there are no witnesses, no proof—only two opposing claims.

Human judgment alone cannot easily resolve this.

Solomon:

treats both claims equally.

avoids premature conclusions.

positions himself as a fair and neutral judge.

Solomon sets the stage for a deeper test—not of facts alone, but of the heart.

²⁴All right, bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought to the king.

²⁵Then he said, “Cut the living child in two, and give half to one woman and half to the other!”

Solomon proposes a shocking solution: divide the living child in two, giving half to each woman.

Solomon understands true motherhood will reveal itself through compassion.

Solomon knows that the real mother’s love will do almost anything to protect the life of her child.

True wisdom involves understanding human nature, not just applying laws.

God-given wisdom discerns more than surface facts—it reaches the heart.

²⁶Then the woman who was the real mother of the living child, and who loved him very much, cried out, “Oh no, my lord! Give her the child—please do not kill him!”

But the other woman said, “All right, he will be neither yours nor mine; divide him between us!”

Note the contrast.

The real mother immediately pleads for the child’s life, even if it means surrendering him to the other woman. The false claimant agrees to the division.

True love is self-sacrificing; false love is self-centered.

²⁷Then the king said, “Do not kill the child, but give him to the woman who wants him to live, for she is his mother!”

Through his God-given understanding of human nature, Solomon identified the true mother. Solomon understood why people behave as they do and how they will respond in various situations.

The child’s mother did not want to see her baby killed so she was willing to give it to the other woman.

The woman who was not the baby’s mother had no compassion for the child.

Solomon identifies the real mother based on her compassion and gives her the child.

God’s gift of wisdom enabled Solomon to uncover truth where evidence was lacking.

²⁸When all Israel heard the king’s decision, the people were in awe of the king, for they saw the wisdom God had given him for rendering justice.

The people of Israel realized that the wisdom of God was in Solomon.

Solomon’s wisdom became known throughout his kingdom.

Solomon was admired as a wise administrator of justice.

The Lord had answered Solomon’s prayer for a discerning heart.

1 Kings 4:29-31 NLT (next chapter)
²⁹God gave Solomon very great wisdom and understanding, and knowledge as vast as the sands of the seashore. ³⁰In fact, his wisdom exceeded that of all the wise men of the East and the wise men of Egypt. ³¹He was wiser than anyone else …

God had given Solomon the wisdom he promised:

1 Kings 3:12 NLT (previous lesson)
¹²I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have!

1 Kings 10:23-24 NLT (future passage)
²³So King Solomon became richer and wiser than any other king on earth. ²⁴People from every nation came to consult him and to hear the wisdom God had given him.

Application

Wisdom is a gift from God.

Wisdom is more than intelligence or knowledge—it is the God given ability to make right judgments in difficult situations.

God’s wisdom enables us to see beyond appearances to the heart of a matter.

Verses to consider:

James 1:5-8 NLT
⁵If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. ⁶But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. ⁸Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

Proverbs 9:10-12 NLT
¹⁰Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom.
Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.
¹¹Wisdom will multiply your days
and add years to your life.
¹²If you become wise, you will be the one to benefit.
If you scorn wisdom, you will be the one to suffer.

James 3:17 NLT
¹⁷But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.

Biblical wisdom = knowing God + trusting His Word + living it out daily.

Solomon Asks for Wisdom

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Solomon Asks for Wisdom

Introduction:

The transfer of leadership in Israel had gone from David to Solomon. Solomon described himself “like a little child who doesn’t know his way around”.

Solomon had a lot to learn. He was making some good choices and good decisions, but at the same time some of his decisions would have disastrous consequences in the long run.

1 Kings 3:1-15 NLT
Solomon Asks for Wisdom
^3:1Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and married one of his daughters. He brought her to live in the City of David until he could finish building his palace and the Temple of the Lord and the wall around the city. ²At that time the people of Israel sacrificed their offerings at local places of worship, for a temple honoring the name of the Lord had not yet been built.
³Solomon loved the Lord and followed all the decrees of his father, David, except that Solomon, too, offered sacrifices and burned incense at the local places of worship. ⁴The most important of these places of worship was at Gibeon, so the king went there and sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings. ⁵That night the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!”
⁶Solomon replied, “You showed great and faithful love to your servant my father, David, because he was honest and true and faithful to you. And you have continued to show this great and faithful love to him today by giving him a son to sit on his throne.
⁷“Now, O Lord my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn’t know his way around. ⁸And here I am in the midst of your own chosen people, a nation so great and numerous they cannot be counted! ⁹Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?”
¹⁰The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom. ¹¹So God replied, “Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies— ¹²I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have! ¹³And I will also give you what you did not ask for—riches and fame! No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life! ¹⁴And if you follow me and obey my decrees and my commands as your father, David, did, I will give you a long life.”
¹⁵Then Solomon woke up and realized it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem and stood before the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, where he sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then he invited all his officials to a great banquet.

Examine the Scriptures

1 Kings 3:1-15 NLT

Solomon Asks for Wisdom

^3:1Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and married one of his daughters.

Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh King of Egypt.

Pharaoh’s daughter was the most politically significant of Solomon’s 700 wives.

Solomon strengthens his kingdom through marriage diplomacy.

Marrying Pharaoh’s daughter was politically wise, but spiritually questionable

Consider the following:

Israel had been told not to return to Egypt:

Israel had been told not to intermarry with people of other nations:

Deuteronomy 7:1-4 NLT
^7:1 “When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are about to enter and occupy, he will clear away many nations ahead of you: the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. These seven nations are greater and more numerous than you. ²When the Lord your God hands these nations over to you and you conquer them, you must completely destroy them. Make no treaties with them and show them no mercy. ³You must not intermarry with them. Do not let your daughters and sons marry their sons and daughters, ⁴for they will lead your children away from me to worship other gods. Then the anger of the Lord will burn against you, and he will quickly destroy you.

Looking ahead:

1 Kings 11:3-4 NLT
^11:1Now King Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh’s daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites. ²The Lord had clearly instructed the people of Israel, “You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.” Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. ³He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord.
⁴In Solomon’s old age, they turned his heart to worship other gods instead of being completely faithful to the Lord his God, as his father, David, had been.

Not all wise political decisions are spiritually wise.

He brought her to live in the City of David until he could finish building his palace and the Temple of the Lord and the wall around the city.

1 Kings 7:8 NLT
⁸Solomon’s living quarters surrounded a courtyard behind this hall, and they were constructed the same way. He also built similar living quarters for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had married.

This could have been as much as 20 years later before she would have moved into her house.

This alliance would benefited both Solomon and Pharaoh.

1 Kings 9:16 NLT
¹⁶(Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, had attacked and captured Gezer, killing the Canaanite population and burning it down. He gave the city to his daughter as a wedding gift when she married Solomon.

Gezer was a major Canaanite city guarding an important trade route (the Via Maris).

*Spiritual growth is weakened by disobedience.

²At that time the people of Israel sacrificed their offerings at local places of worship, for a temple honoring the name of the Lord had not yet been built.

ESV The people were sacrificing at the high places, however, because no house had yet been built for the name of the LORD.

NIV The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places,

When Solomon began his reign, Israel did not yet have a single, permanent central place of worship like the Temple that would later be built in Jerusalem.

The Ark of the Covenant was in Jerusalem, having been brought there by David (2 Samuel 6).

The main worship site—where sacrifices were regularly offered—was still at the Gibeon, where the tabernacle (the portable tent of meeting from Moses’ time) was located (see 1 Kings 3:2–4).

Worship was divided between locations:

Jerusalem → housed the Ark (symbol of God’s presence)

Gibeon → housed the altar and tabernacle (place of sacrifices)

Because of this, people still sacrificed at “high places” (local worship sites), which is noted early in Solomon’s reign (1 Kings 3:2–3).

The open-air, hilltop worship centers that the Israelites inherited from the Canaanites had been rededicated to the Lord.

The Canaanites felt that the closer they got to heaven the more likely was the possibility that their prayers and offerings would reach their gods.

After the building of the Temple, worship at the high places was condemned.

Deuteronomy 12:1-5 NLT
The Lord’s Chosen Place for Worship
^12:1 “These are the decrees and regulations you must be careful to obey when you live in the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. You must obey them as long as you live.
²“When you drive out the nations that live there, you must destroy all the places where they worship their gods—high on the mountains, up on the hills, and under every green tree. ³Break down their altars and smash their sacred pillars. Burn their Asherah poles and cut down their carved idols. Completely erase the names of their gods!
⁴“Do not worship the Lord your God in the way these pagan peoples worship their gods. ⁵Rather, you must seek the Lord your God at the place of worship he himself will choose from among all the tribes—the place where his name will be honored.

Worship at the high places was condemned.

³Solomon loved the Lord and followed all the decrees of his father, David, except that Solomon, too, offered sacrifices and burned incense at the local places of worship.

Solomon loved the

“except”

Solomon continued worshipping at the high places.

“High places” were unauthorized worship sites, even if used for the Lord.

The temple had not yet been built, which partly explains this practice.

Solomon loved the Lord, yet still participated in these imperfect forms of worship.

Compromises?

*Spiritual growth is weakened by compromise.

⁴The most important of these places of worship was at Gibeon,

Gibeon was the most prominent high place.

1 Chronicles 21:29 NLT
²⁹At that time the Tabernacle of the Lord and the altar of burnt offering that Moses had made in the wilderness were located at the place of worship in Gibeon.

A town about 7 miles northwest of Jerusalem, where the tabernacle of Moses and the original Bronze altar were located.

so the king went there and sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings.

Read how this event is recorded in Chronicles.

2 Chronicles 1:2-6 NLT
²Solomon called together all the leaders of Israel—the generals and captains of the army, the judges, and all the political and clan leaders. ³Then he led the entire assembly to the place of worship in Gibeon, for God’s Tabernacle was located there. (This was the Tabernacle that Moses, the Lord’s servant, had made in the wilderness.)
⁴David had already moved the Ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the tent he had prepared for it in Jerusalem. ⁵But the bronze altar made by Bezalel son of Uri and grandson of Hur was there at Gibeon in front of the Tabernacle of the Lord. So Solomon and the people gathered in front of it to consult the Lord. ⁶There in front of the Tabernacle, Solomon went up to the bronze altar in the Lord’s presence and sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings on it.

That is a lot of offering.

⁵That night the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!”

The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream.

God initiates the encounter—this is grace, not earned favor.

God often gave revelation in dreams.

This dream was unique. This was a two way conversation between the Lord and Solomon.

The Lordappeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!”

Clearly, God was not upset with Solomon.

⁶Solomon replied, “You showed great and faithful love to your servant my father, David, because he was honest and true and faithful to you. And you have continued to show this great and faithful love to him today by giving him a son to sit on his throne.

Solomon recognized and remembered God’s faithfulness to David.

⁷“Now, O Lord my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn’t know his way around.

Solomon recognized God’s sovereignty.

⁸And here I am in the midst of your own chosen people, a nation so great and numerous they cannot be counted!

The total population was estimated to be over four million people.

God’s promise to Abram:

Genesis 13:16 NLT
¹⁶And I will give you so many descendants that, like the dust of the earth, they cannot be counted!

⁹Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?”

Solomon’s response:

Solomon acknowledged God’s faithfulness to David.

Solomon recognized his own inexperience.

Some commentators say that Solomon was about 20 years of age (MacArthur being one of them.)

Solomon felt inadequate for the great task of leading Israel.

Solomon recognized his dependence on God.

Solomon asked God to give him an understanding heart so that he could govern God’s people well and know the difference between right and wrong.

¹⁰The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom.

The Lord was pleased.

¹¹So God replied, “Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice

and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies—

Typical desires many others in Solomon’s position would have asked for.

¹²I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have!

This wisdom is a supernatural gift from God.

¹³And I will also give you what you did not ask for—riches and fame! No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life!

Solomon was one of a kind.

God was pleased with Solomon’s request.

God gave Solomon a wise and understanding heart.

God gave Solomon things he did not ask for-riches and fame.

God gave Solomon a wise and understanding heart and God gave Solomon things he did not ask for-riches and fame.

¹⁴And if you follow me and obey my decrees and my commands as your father, David, did, I will give you a long life.”

“if” – conditional

Blessings can be conditional on continued faithfulness.

Unfortunately Solomon did not remain obedient to the covenant as his father David had.

Because of his disobedience, Solomon dies before reaching the age of 70.

Psalm 90:10 NLT
¹⁰Seventy years are given to us!
Some even live to eighty.

¹⁵Then Solomon woke up and realized it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem and stood before the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, where he sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings.

This was a proper place of worship.

The Ark of the Covenant sat in David’s tent in Jerusalem before the temple was built.

Then he invited all his officials to a great banquet.

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Category Archives: Seeking His Kingdom Bible Study

The Ark Brought to the Temple

Furnishings for the Temple (continued)

Furnishings for the Temple

Solomon Builds His Palace

Solomon Builds the Temple (continued)

Solomon Builds the Temple

Preparations for Building the Temple

Solomon’s Administration of Israel

Solomon Judges Wisely

Solomon Asks for Wisdom