A House for the Name of the LORD
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
As we begin today, let me overview what we will do. We’re going to be looking at a large quantity of Scripture that all relates to the construction of what came to be known as “Solomon’s Temple.” This will be God’s dwelling place in Israel and we will see it filled with His glory. Several of the sections of the text will need to be summarized so we can completely cover the construction. I have a couple of images for you to help us get a visual of what it may have looked like and a short video of a model of the exterior and interior. We will end considering where God dwells today and the responsibility we have to reflect His glory.
Preparations (5.1-18)
Preparations (5.1-18)
Help from Hiram and Conscripted Labor
The first five verses of ch. 5 begin with correspondence between Solomon and Hiram, the king of Tyre. Hiram was a friend of David. Solomon contacted him for necessary materials for the construction of the temple.
Interestingly, in verses 3 and 5, Solomon repeats that he is to build a house for “the name of the LORD.” That’s an curious phrase. He could have simply said he was to build a house for YHWH.
The phrase, “the name of the LORD” has been around since Seth’s son Enosh was born in Gen 4.26 when men began to call upon the “name of the LORD.” After the fall, man no longer lived in the presence of God. They began to seek Him, to call upon His name. Abraham, Isaac, and Moses at different times each called “upon the name of the LORD.”
Travis just took us through Scriptures at the Table about the LORD dwelling with man. So what we have is “the name of the LORD” represents, most often, God’s people seeking Him at a place where His temporal physical presence exists. God is both transcendent, meaning beyond us (He dwells in heaven), and He is immanent, meaning with us. He can, at the same time, dwell in the heavens and with us.
Solomon understood this. God wanted him to build a house for His name, a place in which God would dwell with His people.
3 “You know that David my father was unable to build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the wars which surrounded him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet.
5 So behold, I intend to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, just as the Lord spoke to David my father, saying, ‘Your son, whom I will put on your throne in your place, he will build the house for My name.’
As you will see in the next 7 verses, Hiram willingly agreed to provide key materials.
6 Now then, issue orders that they cut cedars from Lebanon for me, and my servants will be with your servants; and I will give you wages for your servants in accordance with all that you say, for you yourself know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”
7 When Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he greatly rejoiced; and he said, “Blessed be the Lord today, who has given to David a wise son over this great people.” 8 So Hiram sent word to Solomon, saying, “I have heard the message which you sent me; I will do everything you wish concerning the cedar and juniper timber. 9 My servants will bring the timbers down from Lebanon to the sea; and I will have them made into rafts to go by sea to the place where you direct me, and I will have them broken up there, and you will carry them away. Then you shall do what I wish, by giving food to my household.” 10 So Hiram gave Solomon all that he wished of the cedar and juniper timber. 11 Solomon then gave Hiram twenty thousand kors of wheat as food for his household, and twenty kors of pure oil; this is what Solomon would give Hiram year by year. 12 And the Lord gave wisdom to Solomon, just as He promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a covenant.
Solomon provided much food and oil for Hiram. The Sidonians had the trees but they did not have a lot of land that was fertile for growing crops.
Next, verses 13-18 cover the conscripted labor that Solomon pulled out of Israel. 30,000 forced laborers (who worked a month and had two off); 70,000 porters (who carried materials), 80,000 hewers of stone who worked in the mountains and 3300 chief deputies who were over the project and the workers. That is 183,300 workers.
Temple Construction
Temple Construction
Marking the Date Construction Began and Ended
1 Now it came about in the four hundred and eightieth year after the sons of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, that is, the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord.
This verse is important because it is a verse that for many scholars and commentators fixes the date of the Exodus.
It is generally accepted that Solomon began construction of the Temple on or about 966 B.C.
So if we add 480 years to 966 B.C., we arrive at a date for the Exodus of 1446, B.C. Some scholars, perhaps the majority, now contend it was a later date in about 1280 B.C. It is not my purpose to get into that debate.
But, we have to ask: why did the author tie the beginning of the construction of the temple to the Exodus?
Perhaps it is because the construction of the temple is the end of the Exodus. It is intended to be a permanent structure in which YHWH would dwell in the land.
When we jump over to 1 Kings 6:37–38
37 In the fourth year the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid, in the month of Ziv. 38 And in the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, that is, the eighth month, the house was finished in all its parts and in accordance with all its plans. So he was seven years in building it.
We see that the temple was finished in seven years. In the texts we’re looking at today that details the construction of the temple, there will be a lot of garden imagery. The 7-year period corresponds to the 7-day period of God constructing what some would call His cosmic temple in Genesis 1 and 2.
Temple Exterior (6.2-10)
One observation we can make as we look at the construction of the temple is that while God gave Moses detailed instructions about the construction of the tabernacle, God does not do that with Solomon. God has given him extraordinary wisdom and Solomon designed the temple. He will follow the basic layout of the tabernacle, but with many unique features.
It was 90 feet long, 30 feet wide and 45 feet high. The interior of the building had roughly 2700 sf.
It was three stories. It had a porch that was the width of the building and 30 feet long. All the stones were carefully shaped at the quarry so no hammer was used at the temple site during construction. The beams were cedar and there were a number of side rooms that were probably set aside for the priests’ use.
The building was attractive, but it was also functional.
Image of the exterior of the temple
YHWH Interrupts (6.11-13)
11 Now the word of the Lord came to Solomon, saying, 12 “As for this house which you are building, if you will walk in My statutes and execute My ordinances and keep all My commandments by walking in them, then I will fulfill My word with you which I spoke to David your father. 13 And I will dwell among the sons of Israel, and will not abandon My people Israel.”
Why does God interject into the construction of the temple these words to Solomon?
And, they are words to Solomon, not to the nation. The “you” is a second person singular pronoun.
The meaning is twofold. God will fulfill His promise to David about his heirs on the throne only if Solomon walks according to His statutes, commandments and ordinances and God will only dwell among His people if Solomon walks according to His statutes, commandments and ordinances.
The import of this is that if Solomon, as the anointed king, does not follow God’s word, neither will the people. He will lead them and it will either be in following God’s instruction or away from the LORD.
Application
Interior of the Temple (6.14-38)
14 So Solomon built the house and finished it. 15 He built the walls of the house on the inside with boards of cedar; from the floor of the house to the ceiling he paneled the walls on the inside with wood, and he paneled the floor of the house with boards of juniper. 16 He also built twenty cubits on the rear part of the house with boards of cedar from the floor to the ceiling; he built them for it on the inside as an inner sanctuary, as the Most Holy Place. 17 The house, that is, the main room in front of the inner sanctuary, was forty cubits long. 18 There was cedar inside the house, carved in the shape of gourds and open flowers; everything was cedar, there was no stone visible. 19 Then he prepared an inner sanctuary inside the house in order to place there the ark of the covenant of the Lord. 20 The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits in length, twenty cubits in width, and twenty cubits in height; and he overlaid it with pure gold. He also paneled the altar with cedar. 21 So Solomon overlaid the inside of the house with pure gold. And he extended chains of gold across the front of the inner sanctuary, and he overlaid it with gold. 22 He overlaid the entire house with gold, until all the house was finished. Also the entire altar which was by the inner sanctuary he overlaid with gold.
23 And in the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high. 24 The one wing of the first cherub was five cubits, and the other wing of the first cherub was five cubits; from the end of one wing to the end of the other wing were ten cubits. 25 The second cherub was ten cubits; both of the cherubim were of the same measurement and the same form. 26 The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was that of the other cherub. 27 He placed the cherubim in the midst of the inner house, and the wings of the cherubim spread out so that the wing of the one was touching the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub was touching the other wall. And their wings were touching end to end in the center of the house. 28 He also overlaid the cherubim with gold.
29 Then he carved all the surrounding walls of the house with engravings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, for the inner and outer sanctuaries. 30 And he overlaid the floor of the house with gold, for the inner and outer sanctuaries.
31 And for the entrance of the inner sanctuary he made doors of olive wood, the lintel, and five-sided doorposts. 32 So he made two doors of olive wood, and he carved on them carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold; and he overlaid the cherubim and the palm trees with gold.
33 So too he made for the entrance of the main room four-sided doorposts of olive wood, 34 and two doors of juniper wood; the two leaves of the one door turned on pivots, and the two leaves of the other door turned on pivots. 35 He carved on it cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers; and he overlaid them with gold plated on the carved work. 36 And he built the inner courtyard with three rows of cut stone and a row of cedar beams.
37 In the fourth year the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid, in the month of Ziv. 38 And in the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, that is, the eighth month, the house was finished in all its parts and in accordance with all its plans. So he was seven years in building it.
Image of the interior of the temple
Solomon’s Palace (7.1-12)
DZ will summarize these verses.
Hiram’s Work (7.13-47)
13 Now King Solomon sent word and had Hiram brought from Tyre. 14 He was a widow’s son from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, an artisan in bronze; and he was filled with wisdom, skill, and knowledge for doing any work in bronze. So he came to King Solomon and performed all his work.
21 And he set up the pillars at the porch of the main room: he set up the right pillar and named it Jachin, and he set up the left pillar and named it Boaz.
Jachin means “he shall establish” and Boaz means “in him is strength.” Possibly meaning that YHWH will establish this kingdom and the king shall serve in His strength.
1 Kings 7.40-47 DZ will summarize.
The bronze sea was round and about 15 feet in diameter. It was decorated with relief-work in the form of gourds and set on a stand in the form of twelve oxen.
The number of gallons it would have held varies from about 11,000 to 16,000. According to 2 Chron 4.6, it was for the priests to wash it before they entered the Holy Place.
The 10 stands with 10 basins were for washing things used in the burnt offerings. 2 Chron 4.6.
Furniture Solomon Made (7.48-51)
48 Solomon also made all the furniture that was in the house of the Lord: the golden altar and the golden table on which was set the bread of the Presence; 49 and the lampstands of pure gold, five on the right side and five on the left, in front of the inner sanctuary; and the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs, of gold; 50 also the cups, the shears, the bowls, the ladles, and the firepans, of pure gold; and the hinges both for the doors of the inner house, the Most Holy Place, and for the doors of the house, that is, for the main room, of gold.
51 So all the work that King Solomon performed in the house of the Lord was finished. And Solomon brought in the offerings vowed by his father David, the silver and the gold and the utensils, and he put them in the treasuries of the house of the Lord.
Arrival of the Ark (8.1-11)
1 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers’ households of the sons of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the city of David, that is, Zion. 2 So all the men of Israel assembled themselves before King Solomon at the feast, in the month Ethanim, that is, the seventh month. 3 Then all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark. 4 And they brought up the ark of the Lord, the tent of meeting, and all the holy utensils which were in the tent; the priests and the Levites brought them up. 5 And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who were gathered together to him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered. 6 Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim. 7 For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim made a covering over the ark and its carrying poles from above. 8 But the poles were so long 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 outside; they are there to this day. 9 There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. 10 And it happened that when the priests came from the holy place, the cloud filled the house of the Lord, 11 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.
What an event this was. Solomon invited representatives of all the people. Then, in v. 2 it appears that this dedication ceremony was open to all.
It occurred at the Feast of Booths, in the month of Ethanim, the seventh month. This was one of the three annual feasts of Israel and perhaps the most celebrated.
We’ve seen the reference to the temple being completed in the 8th month. This feast was in the 7th month. Lots of ink used on when exactly it occurred. Most likely it was 11 months after the completion.
It commemorated all that God had done for Israel including their time in the wilderness which is represented by the tents/booths.
As the ark was being moved into the temple, there was a time of great sacrificing much like what happened when David moved the ark to Jerusalem and they would move 6 paces and sacrifice a bull.
In the ark were the second set of two tablets containing the ten commandments. This was a clear reminder to Israel of the Mosiac Covenant. They were to bear the name of the LORD and be a kingdom of priests to the nations.
Imagine the scene. The ark is placed by the priests in the Most Holy Place and the cloud, which had earlier filled the Tabernacle and which had led Israel by day in their pilgrimage to the land, was again present with the glory of the LORD filling the Temple.
God’s presence was so real in the Temple and so filled it that the priests could not enter it.
Video of exterior and interior
Video of exterior and interior
Closing/Application
What is our takeaway from these passages about this temple built for the name of the LORD?
We know we are the temple of God because the Holy Spirit indwells each of us who have believed in Jesus.
The glory of the God of Israel, our God, is to now be seen in us. How?
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 But we all, with unveiled faces, looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
By means of the Spirit, we have no veil that keeps us from seeing and understanding the word of God as it was with the Jews. We have freedom from it.
So what is v. 18 saying to us? We all are being transformed. How is that happening? As we look into the word that is not veiled from us, we see the glory of the Lord, the glory of Jesus. As a result, we are in the process of being transformed into that same image from glory to glory by means of Jesus and the Spirit working within us.
So where are we in terms of reflecting that glory?