Summary 1 Kings 6:14-38:
It took 7 years to build God’s temple. Cedar lined the interior walls. The ark of the covenant was placed in the inner sanctuary, along with a pair of cherubim made of olive wood and overlaid with gold. The entire inner and outer rooms of the temple was covered in gold layering.
BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1: Lesson 26, Day 5: 1 Kings 6:14-38:
12) Solomon built the temple to dedicate to the Lord to have a place for burning fragrant incense before him, for setting out the consecrated bread regularly, and for making burnt offerings every morning and evening, on the Sabbaths and New Moons, and at the appointed feasts of the Lord. The temple had to be great because God is great. It as meant as a place to burn sacrifices to God.
13) Personal Question. My answer: I love how Solomon honors God with the best of the best. He takes his time to get it right. He makes everything perfect for a perfect God.
14) Personal Question. My answer: By using God’s talents for God’s glory and not your own and always giving the glory and credit to God, not yourself. I need to better reflect God in my work.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1 Lesson 26 Day 5:1 Kings 6:14-38:
I love the detail the Bible provides of what the temple looks like since we have no pictures. Awesome and splendid!
End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1 Lesson 26, Day 5:1 Kings 6:14-38:
God’s temple completed
Special attention was given to the Holy of Holies or Most Holy place. It was a 30-foot (10 meter) cube, completely overlaid with gold. It also had two large sculptures of cherubim (15-foot or 5 meters in height), which were overlaid with gold.
There were gold chains across the veil separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. “The gold chains, stretched across the front of the inner sanctuary, served to strengthen the concept of the inaccessibility of this Most Holy Place” (Patterson and Austel).
The two cherubim inside the Most Holy Place faced the entrance to this inner room, so as soon as the High Priest entered, he saw these giant guardians of the presence of God facing him.
There was gold everywhere in the temple. The walls were covered with gold (1 Kings 6:20-22), the floor was covered with gold (1 Kings 6:30) and gold was hammered into the carvings on the doors (1 Kings 6:32).
The tabernacle had woven designs of cherubim on the inner covering. It was the court of the priests where the altar and laver were set and sacrifice was conducted. Outside it was the great court, where the people came to pray. Outside it was the court of the women, and outside that was the court of the Gentiles.
Under the Old Covenant, the temple was not for the people of Israel. It was only for the priests to meet with God on behalf of the people. The people gathered and worshipped in the outer courtyard.
When the temple was finished it was a spectacular building. It was easy for Israel to focus on the temple of God instead of the God of the temple. Yet without continued faithfulness to God, the temple’s glory quickly faded. This glorious temple was plundered just five years after the death of Solomon (1 Kings 14:25-27)