SCRIPTURE: 1 KINGS 6
SOLOMON BUILDS THE TEMPLE (vs. 1-37)
Solomon began to build the temple in the 48th year after the Israelites had come out of Egypt, in the 4th year of his reign over Israel in the month of Ziv, the second month. He spent 7 years building the temple in all its details according to its specifications. The temple was 60 cubits long, 20 wide and 30 high. There was a portico at the front of the main hall of the temple. There were three floors. The lowest floor was 5 cubits wide, the middle floor 6 cubits and the third floor 7. He made offset ledges around the outside of the temple so that nothing would be inserted into the temple walls. In building the temple. only blocks dressed at the quarry were used, and no hammer, chisel or any other iron tool was heard at the temple site while it was being built.
Entrance to the temple was at the south. He built side rooms all along attached to the temple. He lined the interior walls with cedar boards, paneling from the floor of the temple to the ceiling and covered the temple with planks of pine. He partitioned 20 cubits at the rear of the temple with cedar boards from floor to ceiling to form within the temple an inner sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. The main hall in front of the room was 40 cubits long. The inside of the temple was cedar carved with gourds and open flowers. Everything was cedar, no stone was to be seen.
He set the ark of the covenant at the inner sanctuary within the temple. The inner sanctuary was 20 inches long 20 wide and 20 high. He overlaid the whole interior inside with pure gold and he also overlaid the altar of cedar. In the inner sanctuary, he made a pair of cherubim of olive wood each 10 cubit high. The wing of the cherubim was five cubits long. The height of the cherub was 10 cubits. He placed the cherubim inside the innermost room of the temple with their wings spread out. The wings of the two cherubim touched each other and he overlaid them with gold. The walls all around the temple, both the inner and outer rooms were carved with cherubim, palm trees and open flowers overlaid with gold.
The entrance door of the inner sanctuary was made of olive wood with five sided gates. And on the two olive wood doors, he carved cherubim, palm tress and open flowers and overlaid with beaten gold. He made four-sided jambs of olive wood for the entrance to the main hall. He also made two pine doors, each having two leaves that turned in sockets. He carved cherubim, palm tress and open flowers on them and overlaid with gold hammered evenly over the carvings. And he built the inner courtyard of 3 courses of dressed stone and one course of trimmed cedar beams.
The foundation of the temple of the Lord was laid in the 4th year in the month of Zib. The temple was finished in the 11th year in the month of Bul, the 8th month. He had spent 7 years building it.
THOUGHTS:
The temple in Jerusalem was built without the sound of a hammer or any other tool at he building site. This meant that the stone had to be prefinished before being brought to be used in building it. This demonstrates that we have to show same concern, honor and respect for God and His sanctuary.
God provided His eternal presence in the temple as long as the Israelites obey God’s Law. But when they failed, forgiveness was provided if they confessed their sins and repented. When we close our hearts to God, his power and presence will leave us. But God is always ready to accept us back if we return to Him in repentance.