2025.02.09 Restoration: Phase 2 - Solomon's Temple

2 Samuel 6:16–22 NIV

16 As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart. 17 They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord. 18 After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord Almighty. 19 Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes. 20 When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!” 21 David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. 22 I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.”

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Restoration: Phase 2 - Solomon's Temple

A couple of weeks ago, I introduced you to the excruciating details of God’s instructions for the Tabernacle. You may have discovered it was a lot bigger than you thought. We don’t think or talk much about the Tabernacle. When they call it the “Tent of Meeting”, I kinda think of it as a single tent … and not very large … like maybe the size of a 10-man popup tent.

Knowing how large the population of Israel was, I should’ve realized it was humongous … but I didn’t. I made it smaller in my mind to help me comprehend it.

Sometimes I’m guilty of shrinking God for the sake of my comprehension, too, instead of increasing my comprehension to better fit His enormity.

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Sin has a way of shrinking God down and puffing ourselves up — Louie Giglio

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Restoration: Phase 2 - Solomon's Temple

The Tabernacle was so big, I can’t imagine the setup/takedown cycle and carrying it around the wilderness for 40 years. Then, the Jews moved into the Promised Land and CONTINUED to move it, even if not as often.

Eerdmans Bible Dictionary I. Before Solomon

After the people had entered the land of Canaan, they established or adopted shrines and sanctuaries in various locations. Some of these were places where the tabernacle or the ark were located (e.g., Shiloh, Josh. 18:1; Bethel, Judg. 20:26–27; Kiriath-jearim, 1 Sam. 7:1–2; Gibeon, 1 Chr. 16:39; 21:29; 2 Chr. 1:3). Some were sites of significant events (Gilgal, Josh. 4:19–24; 5:13–15; Shiloh, 22:12; Shechem, ch. 24 [cf. v. 26]; Mizpah, Judg. 20; 1 Sam. 7:5–12). Some were sites of existing ancient shrines (Shechem, Gen. 12:6–7; 33:18–20; Bethel, 13:3–4; 31:13; perhaps Gibeon, 2 Sam. 21:6; 1 Kgs. 3:4). At Shiloh (and perhaps elsewhere) a temple was built (Judg. 18:31; 1 Sam. 3:3) and an annual pilgrimage feast was held (Judg. 21:19). After Shiloh had been destroyed, priests of Shiloh maintained a shrine at Nob that possessed some of the furnishings of the tabernacle (1 Sam. 21–22; cf. 14:3)

Clearly a permanent location was needed!

David! Great King - conquering warrior - nation leader - man after God’s own heart - the closest thing you’ll ever see to God’s version of a teacher’s pet.

In our reading today, David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem and planned to build a permanent structure … but God forbade him from building it!:

[NO SLIDES]

2 Samuel 7:5–13 NLT

5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord has declared: Are you the one to build a house for me to live in? 6 I have never lived in a house, from the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until this very day. I have always moved from one place to another with a tent and a Tabernacle as my dwelling. 7 Yet no matter where I have gone with the Israelites, I have never once complained to Israel’s tribal leaders, the shepherds of my people Israel. I have never asked them, “Why haven’t you built me a beautiful cedar house?” ’ 8 “Now go and say to my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before your eyes. Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth! 10 And I will provide a homeland for my people Israel, planting them in a secure place where they will never be disturbed. Evil nations won’t oppress them as they’ve done in the past, 11 starting from the time I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. “ ‘Furthermore, the Lord declares that he will make a house for you—a dynasty of kings! 12 For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. 13 He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever.

God tells David he wants Solomon to build his Temple because David is a man of war:

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1 Chronicles 22:8–9 NASB 2020

8 But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have waged great wars; you shall not build a house to My name, because you have shed so much blood on the earth before Me. 9 Behold, a son will be born to you, who shall be a man of rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side; for his name will be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days.

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It took Solomon 7 years to build the Temple.

Seven – the number of perfection

Compared to the Tabernacle

Solomon’s Temple began construction 480 years after the Exodus!

Much of the Tabernacle was either lost or in disrepair by then.

The Ark of the Covenant was the most important element that made it to Solomon’s Temple.

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Sanctuary was double the size of the Tabernacle’s sanctuary.

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A series of courts and porches Solomon added made the structure even larger than the Tabernacle.

Permanent vs. mobile

God’s instructions were no less detailed than they were with the Tabernacle:

The entire interior was cedar paneled

Loads of bronze-work

Gold, silver, iron

Purple, blue, and red yarn

The Temple was built over the rock of Mount Moriah

This is the location Abraham took Isaac and prepared to sacrifice him.

“The Rock” (today it’s called the Temple Mount) is considered a holy place for Christians, Jews, and Muslims.

Today, there is a mosque over this location: “The Dome of the Rock”

Much like the structure of the Tabernacle, the Temple was laid out to represent a return to the Garden of Eden.

God told them to orient the entrance so that people would enter from East [Left] to West [Right].

If you remember from a couple of weeks ago, Adam and Eve were sent out of the Garden of Eden — to the East [point Right-to-Left]

Cherubim were placed to stand guard at the entrance of the Garden.

The Temple was adorned with Cherubim on the doors, the walls, and even Cherubim statues in the Most Holy Place.

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The Temple was divided into three segments just like the Tabernacle:

“Outer Court” (also called the “Great Court”)

Represents the Fallen world

Main Hall also known as “The Holy Place”

Doors were made of cedar overlaid with gold & decorated with cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers

Room itself was overlaid with gold and decorated similarly to the doors

10 large menorahs – constantly burning

Table of Shew Bread on the right

Altar of Incense near the entrance to the Holy of Holies

Designed to be similar to the Brazen Altar in the courtyard

Brazen Altar burned animal flesh as sacrifice

Altar of incense burned sweet aromatics to represent prayers of God’s people ascending to Him

Only priests were allowed to enter the Holy Place

Sanctuary

“The Holy of Holies!”

Only the HIGH PRIEST was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies … and only on one day each year (Yom Kippur – the day of atonement)

Room is a perfect cube: 30’ x 30’ x 30’

More gold and decorations on the walls

Two large cherubim statues flanking the Ark of the Covenant – standing guard

THIS ROOM is where the presence of Yahweh lived!

Once every year, the High Priest would give a sacrifice on behalf of the nation and enter the Holy of Holies.

The priest would sprinkle sacrificial blood on the top of the Ark (also called the “mercy seat”) and if God accepted the sacrifice, his judgment would be converted to mercy! [repeat that last part]

A blood sacrifice was necessary for God’s judgment to change to mercy!

No blood … no mercy

The Tabernacle and the Temple were both made for worshipping Yahweh, and the purpose of worship was to restore us to the relationship we enjoyed in the Garden of Eden. (from East-[left] to West-[right])

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Restoration: Phase 2 - Solomon's Temple

Solomon’s Temple was destroyed by The Babylonians when they captured Jerusalem and exiled much of the Jewish leadership to Babylon after nearly 500 years.

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What do we learn about God in this?

Still a God of order!

Today, though, God’s intention seems to be relationship-driven rather than “lording over” his people or “because I said so”.

The emphasis is forever on God, His holiness, and our restoration.

God’s heart is driven by restoring us to proper relationship with him … THAT is his heart, and it’s the same today as it ever was in the Old Testament!

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What do we learn about humanity?

God rejected David as the builder because he was a man of war.

David was still “a man after God’s own heart” - but God drew a line here.

Our actions may be "after God’s own heart”, but it doesn’t mean “anything goes”!

God draws boundaries around humanity.

David was a ‘man after God’s own heart’ because he accepted God’s boundaries.

How often do we try to move God’s boundaries to match our own?

Humans often want God to conform to our expectations, instead us honoring his boundaries!

We always want to “go bigger” than the people before us.

Is that always the best decision...

…or is “bigger” sometimes (often) a distraction from “more faithful”?

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What can you learn about yourself?

I began this sermon with a confession:

Sometimes I’m guilty of shrinking God for the sake of my comprehension, instead of increasing my comprehension to better fit His enormity.

Is there anything you find hard to understand about God? Have you tried to shrink that issue down to your size or your shape, rather than trying harder to comprehend his character?

Where have you tried to change God’s boundaries to match your own instead of changing your boundaries to match his?

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I will caution you ...

Sin has a way of shrinking God down and puffing ourselves up — Louie Giglio

[Pray]