1 Kings 7 – 8 part 5

 

Last week we finished up looking at many of the details of the temple and tonight we are going to examine more of Solomon’s building projects and more additions in association in the temple. Now for the sake of time instead of reading through all these measurements in chapter 7 I will summarize what he built with a brief description.

 

2 – 5 He builds the house of the Forest of Lebanon. It was approximately 170 feet long; 85 feet wide and 50 feet high. 14,450 sq feet. It was primarily made from cedar and even had 45 pillars made of this wood and it had several windows. It believed that is name came from the fact that all this lumber came from the Forest of Lebanon.

 

6 – 10 He built a Hall of Pillars that was 85 feet long and 50 feet wide 4250 sq feet. It also had a porch in front of it which had pillars and some sort of canopy. We also learn that he makes 2 more halls for judgment one outside and one inside his home. He also makes a very similar structure for the Pharaohs daughter. All of the halls were made costly stones and cedar.

 

Next Solomon brings in Hiram from Tyre who is skilled in working with all kind of bronze. Of course this is different man than King Hiram. This man make many structures for the king.

 

15 – 22 This man makes two very large and extravagant pillars made from bronze for the temple. These were just for looks.  The pillars themselves were 26 feet high and around 18 feet in circumference. That would be 3 times as big as the circle I can make with my arms. Then on top of these pillar was a decorated topping that was made to look like a lily that added another 7 feet in height. These 2 pillars would be a quite the site.

 

23 – 26 Here we learn about a laver so huge that its referred to as a Sea. Although it’s this picture not very sharp it gives you general idea of what this massive laver looked like. It was round and it was roughly 14 feet from one rim to the other. It was 44 feet in circumference and 7 feet high and around 4 inches thick. Now based upon the measurement of a bath which is 6.05 gallons this Laver held around 12,100 gallons of water. To give you a comparison most septic tanks  hold about 1000 gallons of waste so it would take around 12 septic tanks to hold this same amount of water. This laver was decorated all around with ornamental buds. They set this massive laver upon 12 bronzed oxen which faced outwards. 3 each faced the north, east south and west. This was the Laver that the priest would cleanse themselves in before entering the temple.

 

27 – 39 The verses talk about 10 carts that held 10 lavers as you can see depicted in the picture. The cart itself was 7 feet wide, 7 feet long and 5 feet tall. Of course these were made of bronze as well and they were highly decorated. The laver held around 242 gallons of water. These lavers were used to clean the sacrifice that was made for a burn offering which makes sense of why they had them on carts they could move around. We are given  more information about this in,

 

2 Chronicles 4:6 He also made ten lavers, and put five on the right side and five on the left, to wash in them; such things as they offered for the burnt offering they would wash in them, but the Sea was for the priests to wash in.

 

Now the remaining verses just summarizes what Solomon has done and want to read this starting in,

 

1 Kings 7:40 Huram made the lavers and the shovels and the bowls. So Huram finished doing all the work that he was to do for King Solomon for the house of the LORD:  41 the two pillars, the two bowl-shaped capitals that were on top of the two pillars; the two networks covering the two bowl-shaped capitals which were on top of the pillars;  42 four hundred pomegranates for the two networks (two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowl-shaped capitals that were on top of the pillars);  43 the ten carts, and ten lavers on the carts;  44 one Sea, and twelve oxen under the Sea;  45 the pots, the shovels, and the bowls. All these articles which Huram made for King Solomon for the house of the LORD were of burnished bronze.  46 In the plain of Jordan the king had them cast in clay molds, between Succoth and Zaretan.  47 And Solomon did not weigh all the articles, because there were so many; the weight of the bronze was not determined.  48 Thus Solomon had all the furnishings made for the house of the LORD: the altar of gold, and the table of gold on which was the showbread;  49 the lampstands of pure gold, five on the right side and five on the left in front of the inner sanctuary, with the flowers and the lamps and the wick-trimmers of gold;  50 the basins, the trimmers, the bowls, the ladles, and the censers of pure gold; and the hinges of gold, both for the doors of the inner room (the Most Holy Place) and for the doors of the main hall of the temple.  51 So all the work that King Solomon had done for the house of the LORD was finished; and Solomon brought in the things which his father David had dedicated: the silver and the gold and the furnishings. He put them in the treasuries of the house of the LORD.

 

Now Chapter is a very long chapter that deals with bringing the ark into the temple and thankfulness to God for this temple. For the sake of time I will only make a few comments as work away through this chapter.

 

1 Kings 8:1 Now Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the City of David, which is Zion.  2 Therefore all the men of Israel assembled with King Solomon at the feast in the month of Ethanim, which is the seventh month.  3 So all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark.  4 Then they brought up the ark of the LORD, the tabernacle of meeting, and all the holy furnishings that were in the tabernacle. The priests and the Levites brought them up.  5 Also King Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled with him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted or numbered for multitude. 

 

So the temple was ready for the ark and we can see that they began sacrificing more sheep and oxen than could be counted for this occasion.

 

6 Then the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the temple, to the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim.  7 For the cherubim spread their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim overshadowed the ark and its poles.  8 The poles extended so that the ends of the poles could be seen from the holy place, in front of the inner sanctuary; but they could not be seen from outside. And they are there to this day.  9 Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.

 

Here us another hint that Solomon left out the veil that was to cover the holy of hollies because it says that the poles could be seen from the holy place. Now for whatever reason the gold pot that had manna in it and Aarons rod that budded were no longer in the ark.

 

  10 And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD,  11 so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.  12 Then Solomon spoke: "The LORD said He would dwell in the dark cloud.  13 I have surely built You an exalted house, And a place for You to dwell in forever."

 

This is the same thing God had done before in the tabernacle in the wilderness in Exodus 40 34-35. He was giving his approval of what Solomon built in his name.

 

 14 Then the king turned around and blessed the whole assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing.  15 And he said: "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David, and with His hand has fulfilled it, saying,  16 'Since the day that I brought My people Israel out of Egypt, I have chosen no city from any tribe of Israel in which to build a house, that My name might be there; but I chose David to be over My people Israel.'  17 "Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a temple for the name of the LORD God of Israel.  18 "But the LORD said to my father David, 'Whereas it was in your heart to build a temple for My name, you did well that it was in your heart.  19 'Nevertheless you shall not build the temple, but your son who will come from your body, he shall build the temple for My name.'  20 "So the LORD has fulfilled His word which He spoke; and I have filled the position of my father David, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised; and I have built a temple for the name of the LORD God of Israel.  21 "And there I have made a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD which He made with our fathers, when He brought them out of the land of Egypt." 

 

Solomon proclaims a blessing on his people and reminds them that God keeps His word.

Next we will see Solomon praying to God with his hands reached out toward heaven.

22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven;  23 and he said: "LORD God of Israel, there is no God in heaven above or on earth below like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts.  24 "You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father; You have both spoken with Your mouth and fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day.  25 "Therefore, LORD God of Israel, now keep what You promised Your servant David my father, saying, 'You shall not fail to have a man sit before Me on the throne of Israel, only if your sons take heed to their way, that they walk before Me as you have walked before Me.'  26 "And now I pray, O God of Israel, let Your word come true, which You have spoken to Your servant David my father.

 

We see the words coming right out of Solomon’s mouth that God promises are conditional on whether or not David son’s walked in his commandments. It is real shame that Solomon didn’t keep this in his thoughts throughout his entire reign as king. Next Solomon wisdom reveals that the temple could never literally house the Lord.

 

  27 "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!  28 "Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O LORD my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You today:  29 "that Your eyes may be open toward this temple night and day, toward the place of which You said, 'My name shall be there,' that You may hear the prayer which Your servant makes toward this place.  30 "And may You hear the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Hear in heaven Your dwelling place; and when You hear, forgive.

 

This is why see many times throughout the OT when someone prayed they prayed toward this temple and we also see that Solomon recognizes that heaven is God’s true home. Now Solomon is going to give different circumstance that he would like God to hear people’s prayers and to forgive them or to take action.

 

1st

 31 " When anyone sins against his neighbor, and is forced to take an oath, and comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this temple,  32 "then hear in heaven, and act, and judge Your servants, condemning the wicked, bringing his way on his head, and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness. 

 

2nd

33 " When Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and when they turn back to You and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication to You in this temple,  34 "then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave to their fathers.

 

 

3rd

 35 " When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, when they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them,  36 "then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, that You may teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.

 

4th

 37 " When there is famine in the land, pestilence or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers; when their enemy besieges them in the land of their cities; whatever plague or whatever sickness there is;  38 "whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Israel, when each one knows the plague of his own heart, and spreads out his hands toward this temple:  39 "then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and act, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men),  40 "that they may fear You all the days that they live in the land which You gave to our fathers. 

 

5th

41 " Moreover, concerning a foreigner, who is not of Your people Israel, but has come from a far country for Your name's sake  42 '(for they will hear of Your great name and Your strong hand and Your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this temple,  43 "hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, that all peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this temple which I have built is called by Your name. 

 

6th

44 " When Your people go out to battle against their enemy, wherever You send them, and when they pray to the LORD toward the city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for Your name,  45 "then hear in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause. 

 

7th

46 " When they sin against You (for there is no one who does not sin), and You become angry with them and deliver them to the enemy, and they take them captive to the land of the enemy, far or near;  47 "yet when they come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication to You in the land of those who took them captive, saying, 'We have sinned and done wrong, we have committed wickedness';  48 "and when they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who led them away captive, and pray to You toward their land which You gave to their fathers, the city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for Your name:  49 "then hear in heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause,  50 "and forgive Your people who have sinned against You, and all their transgressions which they have transgressed against You; and grant them compassion before those who took them captive, that they may have compassion on them  51 "(for they are Your people and Your inheritance, whom You brought out of Egypt, out of the iron furnace),  52 "that Your eyes may be open to the supplication of Your servant and the supplication of Your people Israel, to listen to them whenever they call to You.  53 "For You separated them from among all the peoples of the earth to be Your inheritance, as You spoke by Your servant Moses, when You brought our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord GOD."

 

So we see these 7 different scenarios given by Solomon that God hear his people plea when they are really seeking God with their whole heart. I also like how Solomon points out that no person is without sin and shows that we must rely upon God to be forgiven of those sins.

 

 54 And so it was, when Solomon had finished praying all this prayer and supplication to the LORD, that he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven.  55 Then he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying:  56 "Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses.  57 "May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us,  58 "that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, which He commanded our fathers.  59 "And may these words of mine, with which I have made supplication before the LORD, be near the LORD our God day and night, that He may maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel, as each day may require,  60 "that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no other.  61 "Let your heart therefore be loyal to the LORD our God, to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, as at this day."

 

Now that was excellent speech and it one is one that we can take to heart today because we have also been blessed by God’s promises and we have seen the results that he has kept his Word. He truly is the only God that there is. It imperative that we take to heart verse 61.

 

  62 Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices before the LORD.  63 And Solomon offered a sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to the LORD, twenty-two thousand bulls and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of the LORD.  64 On the same day the king consecrated the middle of the court that was in front of the house of the LORD; for there he offered burnt offerings, grain offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar that was before the LORD was too small to receive the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings.  65 At that time Solomon held a feast, and all Israel with him, a great assembly from the entrance of Hamath to the Brook of Egypt, before the LORD our God, seven days and seven more days -- fourteen days.  66 On the eighth day he sent the people away; and they blessed the king, and went to their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the good that the LORD had done for His servant David, and for Israel His people. 

 

Certainly we can see that this was joyous occasion for Solomon and the children of Israel. There was great peace in the land and now they had a beautiful place built in honor of God and they even had the approval of God. We as Christians should have this same joy knowing the we are the temple of and that God dwells with us and this should give us a peace beyond understanding. I really love the thoughts the we learn about God that we can apply to ourselves from the OT. As Paul right said.

 

Romans 15:4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.