BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

God told David he could not build the Temple because of his history in war and bloodshed, so his son Solomon was chosen to complete the task (1 Chronicles 22:8-10). When Solomon began construction, he requested building materials from Hiram, King of Tyre, a friend of David. Hiram had previously provided materials for David, which Solomon now used. Hiram agreed to send timber from Lebanon to Joppa, the nearest port to Jerusalem, and Solomon would send wheat and oil yearly in return, benefi ting Hiram’s storehouses. This arrangement established a long-lasting peaceful alliance between the two nations.
Solomon enlisted over 180,000 laborers and Hiram sent skilled Sidonian workers. To minimize family disruption, Solomon implemented a rotation system: 10,000 men worked in Lebanon for a month, then returned home for two months before returning. This cycle continued for about seven years until the Temple was completed.
Chapter 6 ends with the Temple’s foundation laid, and its construction taking seven years. The chapter then shifts focus to Solomon’s palace and surrounding buildings, located near the Temple. The area included an outer court with the house of Lebanon and the porch of pillars, a middle court with the royal palace and Pharaoh’s daughter’s house, and the Temple court.
Solomon hired Hiram, a skilled craftsman from Tyre (distinct from King Hiram), known for his expertise in building and metalworking. The Temple’s design, revealed to David, followed the Tabernacle’s layout but with permanent features.
The Temple included two large pillars at the entrance, each 27 feet high and 18 feet in circumference, named Jachin (“He shall establish”) and Boaz (“In it is strength”), symbolizing God’s establishment of the Temple. Another feature was the “molten sea,” a large bowl for ritual purification, holding 12,000 gallons of water. Positioned between the brazen altar and the sanctuary, it was used by priests before sacrifices. Ten large lavers, each holding 200 gallons of water, were also used in the sanctuary for purification, emphasizing the importance of purity in the Temple.

A TESTIMONY FROM OUR DAY

Have you ever been on or near a building construction site? If so, you will likely agree that it is a very noisy place. You may hear the crackling of fi re as wood burns on the scrap pile. There are conversations—sometimes loud ones—between workers as instructions and requests are shouted back and forth. The roar of heavy equipment, power saws, hammers, and air compressors can be almost overwhelming. However, all of this noise is necessary for the construction project to progress.
In our text, we read about a massive construction project. With so many people working on the Temple, one would imagine that the noise of construction would be heard. Yet, we learn that there was no sound of a hammer, axe, or any other tool of iron during the Temple’s construction. How could that be? All the cutting of wood and chiselling of stone had been done off -site. When the building materials arrived, they were perfectly shaped to fi t into their designated places in the Temple.
Our lives are like a construction site. We are bombarded daily with the “noise” of this world. There are pressures in our jobs and everyday lives. Noise from political and moral pressures surrounds us everywhere we turn. Sometimes it gets so loud that we can hardly think. But we have this confidence: the Master Builder, the Lord Himself, is at work. He is chiselling, moulding, and shaping us to prepare us to “fi t” into His eternal Kingdom. When we arrive in Heaven, there will be no more construction. We will be perfectly shaped to fi t into our designated place in Heaven. The distracting and annoying “sounds” of earth will be a thing of the past. The sounds we will hear there will be singing, rejoicing, praising, and thanksgiving for all that God has done for us!

A CLOSER LOOK

Question 1
Why do you think Solomon specifically wanted cedar and fi r trees for building the Temple? I Kings 5:6-10
Question 2
According to 1 Kings 5:13-14, Solomon employed three times as many workers as were needed for the Temple project, and then rotated their schedules so they did not have to be away from their homes and families for long periods of time. Why do you think this was a wise move?
Question 3
What twofold promise did God give to Solomon concerning the Temple he was building? I Kings 6:12-13
Question 4
Look back over your spiritual walk with God. In what ways has God chiselled, moulded, and shaped you for His Eternal Kingdom? I Kings 6:7
Question 5
What were the purposes of the Temple? How did the pillars convey a spiritual lesson? I Kings 7:15-22
Question 6
How do we express purity in our service to God today?

TAKE HOME

If we hold fast our confidence in God, make Jesus the Chief Cornerstone of our lives, and let God himself be the Master builder, we have the assurance that someday we will see Jesus in Heaven. When we serve Him in purity, we can receive His wisdom to do whatever is facing us, and the result will glorify God.