Solomon Builds the Temple

 

2 Chronicles 3:1-7

 

May 10, 2023

 

Solomon Builds the Temple

Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to David his father, at the place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.  He began to build in the second month of the fourth year of his reign.  These are Solomon's measurements for building the house of God: the length, in cubits of the old standard, was sixty cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits.  The vestibule in front of the nave of the house was twenty cubits long, equal to the width of the house, and its height was 120 cubits. He overlaid it on the inside with pure gold.  The nave he lined with cypress and covered it with fine gold and made palms and chains on it.  He adorned the house with settings of precious stones. The gold was gold of Parvaim.  So, he lined the house with gold—its beams, its thresholds, its walls, and its doors—and he carved cherubim on the walls.

And he made the Most Holy Place. Its length, corresponding to the breadth of the house, was twenty cubits, and its breadth was twenty cubits. He overlaid it with 600 talents of fine gold.  The weight of gold for the nails was fifty shekels. And he overlaid the upper chambers with gold.

 

Solomon had a lot of workers and materials waiting for him to build a house for God, David his father had made sure that what was needed would be ready to do this project.  So why did it take Solomon four years to get the project going?  I have no real understanding of why Solomon waited four years to begin building the Temple.  I went to what men who are I’m sure more knowledgeable than I had to say on the subject.  August 15, 2019, Christian Living/Life Issues, States; Two details stand out. First, Solomon took seven years to finish the temple in Jerusalem, but he spent thirteen years building his palace, spending nearly twice as long on his own house as he did on the holy sanctuary (Kings 6:37–7:1). This suggests that for all of Solomon’s devotion to the work of temple building, he was more concerned with the details and size of his palace than with the sanctuary where God would be worshiped. In some ways, Solomon was more devoted to his own glory than he was to the glory of the Lord.  

 

Once again, we, you and I should be very careful with all opinions of men, and that sure includes mine.  Nowhere does God give us the ability to see into a person's heart.  One might wonder if as a child or young man, Solomon had to establish his rule, he had to make sure that the men around him in leadership were trustworthy, and yes it looks as if he put his house before the Temple where God would be honor, but just maybe he wanted to watch how the builders did on his house to make sure the house of the Lord was without error.  See I also can guess, but we just do not know.  But let me share what we do know about this young man, he asked God for wisdom, not for wealth, or power, does that sound like someone seeking their own glory

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice