Solomon’s Temple

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Image of the Ark of the Covenant, placed in Solomon's Temple
Image source: Jeremy Park, BibleScenes.com

Today’s Bible reading* goes into great detail concerning the construction of Solomon’s Temple. After making a deal with King Hiram of Tyre to supply the best wood from Lebanon, Solomon began construction. It would take seven years to complete the job.

Solomon drafted thirty thousand workers. From the installation of the quarried stones to the lumber in the temple, everything was assembled without any iron tools on site.

2 Chronicles 3:8 tells us that Solomon used 45,000 pounds of gold to plate the walls of the Most Holy Place in Solomon’s Temple. As of the close on June 4, 2021, the value would be a little shy of $1.25 Million. This isn’t counting the gold plating of the angels … or anything else made of gold or plated in gold!

In 1 Kings 6:12-13, God promises,
“As for this temple you are building—if you walk in my statutes, observe my ordinances, and keep all my commands by walking in them, I will fulfill my promise to you, which I made to your father David. I will dwell among the Israelites and not abandon my people Israel.”
1 Kings 6:12–13 (CSB)

God promises to live in Solomon’s Temple. What a promise! All Solomon had to do was completely obey God and He would fulfill His promise He made to David: To dwell among His people and not abandon them. Hmm… all He had to do. Do you think Solomon was able to live up to his end of God’s offer?

Application

Would you be able to live up to your end of God’s offer if you were in Solomon’s shoes? I couldn’t. None of us could … on our own.

We need the filling of God’s Holy Spirit. Always remember this important point. Otherwise, you’ll fall for the error of moralism: the belief that (without Jesus) we can be justified by God and receive His blessings. If we could be justified in our own strength, Jesus’ life and death were wasted.

Yesterday, I said that God doesn’t work according to our manipulative Transactional Religion. But He often makes promises to His people in the Old Testament. Note the difference: He doesn’t work when we initiate and try to strike a bargain with God (for our glory), but He sovereignly makes offers to His covenant people.

As I said yesterday, God will not be manipulated. But occasionally He initiates offers to His people. And all of His offers are blessings for His people to His own glory.

* Chapters covered in today’s reading:
1 Kings 5
1 Kings 6
2 Chronicles 2
2 Chronicles 3

This devotional was originally published on June 5, 2021.


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