Day 99: 1 Kings 8-9; Dedication of the Temple

Posted on Apr 9, 2013 by Pastor Jon in 1 & 2 Kings, Daily Bible Journal | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 7873

When Solomon had finished building the Temple of the Lord he held a great celebration as they brought the Ark of the Covenant up into the Temple.  Notice some differences here between how Solomon brought the Ark where it needed to go and how David did the first time.  David had it brought in a cart which led to the death of one of the men going with them up to Jerusalem.  This time however, Solomon makes sure that it is done right.  The priests carry the Ark of the Covenant up to the Temple and place it in the Most Holy place, also know as the Holy of Holies.  This room existed in the Tabernacle as well.  In fact, the Temple area was an exact representation of the Tabernacle, only it was larger and a bit more permanent.

English: The Ark of the Covenant Brought into ...

English: The Ark of the Covenant Brought into the Temple (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Like the dedication of the Tabernacle in Exodus 40, when the Temple is finished and the Ark of the Covenant, the mercy seat and throne of God is placed in the Tabernacle, we read that the glory of God descends down upon the Temple.  It comes down in the form of a cloud so think and (I imagine) so dark that the priests are unable to do their priestly duties.  As we have spoken about before, the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy of Holies represents the place at which heaven and earth meet, where God’s presence is concentrated, the center of the Hebrew universe.  When everything is finished, God inhabits this place in all His glorious splendor, which is physically manifested in a dark cloud.  This too is a sign that it is indeed God that is present.  Remember all the way back to God’s covenant with Abraham.  The first time we read about this was on Day 4 of our journey through the Bible.  The vision that Abraham had involved a great deal of darkness, which represents the glory and presence of God.

Dedication of the TemplePhoto Credit: http://www.pitts.emory.edu/dia/detail.cfm?ID=112584

Dedication of the Temple
Photo Credit: http://www.pitts.emory.edu/dia/detail.cfm?ID=112584

Solomon’s benediction prayer is a beautiful conclusion this whole celebration!  It is, in itself, an occasion of covenant renewal.  He has just finished a prayer to the Lord to remember the people and be merciful to them when the sin.  He continues on with this benediction:

“Blessed be the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant.  The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers. May he not leave us or forsake us,  that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his rules, which he commanded our fathers. Let these words of mine, with which I have pleaded before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, and may he maintain the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel, as each day requires,  that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no other.  Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the Lord our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day.”

What an amazing testament to all that the Lord has done.  Not one word has failed of all his good promise. He refers to both the blessings and the curses.  God has been faithful to them all and continue to be faithful even to the present day.

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Day 98: 1 Kings 6-7; The Temple of the Lord

Posted on Apr 8, 2013 by Pastor Jon in 1 & 2 Kings, Daily Bible Journal | Tags: , , , , , , , , 10433

The Temple of the Lord (often referred to as Solomon’s Temple).  I don’t know that words necessarily do it justice.  I doubt that any sort of artist’s rendering would either, but if a picture is worth a thousand words, we’ll take a look at a few to gain some perspective.

Photo Credit: http://knightsoftemplar.wordpress.com/category/002-temple-of-solomon/

Solomon’s Temple
Photo Credit: http://knightsoftemplar.wordpress.com/category/002-temple-of-solomon/

If we think back to the building of the tabernacle, much of the descriptions here are similar.  While the dimensions are much greater for the Temple, there is still a great deal of precision that is described here and a great deal of care that is taken to not only preserve these descriptions, but also to craft each piece.  I think its amazing that everything that went into this temple building was made off-site “so that neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron was heard in the house while it was being built.”  Every single one of these stones, much like the building of the great pyramids of Egypt, were hauled in from elsewhere.  Simply amazing, and what a marvelous feat for these people to accomplish.

Floor Plan of Solomon's TemplePhoto Credit: http://www.phoenixmasonry.org/king_solomons_temple/page_13.htm

Floor Plan of Solomon’s Temple
Photo Credit: http://www.phoenixmasonry.org/king_solomons_temple/page_13.htm

As we talked about so long ago with the building of the Tabernacle, we see here, and in yesterday’s reading, that God once again works through people with certain gifts which He has given them.  1 Kings refers specifically to Hiram of Tyre, yet we read that there are literally thousands of people at work doing various things to help in the construction of the Temple.  God has gifted each and every one of these people for this work at this time.

Looking at this floor plan, I think it is interesting to see the full layout of the Temple building and the surrounding court.  Anything strike you as interesting?  A Cross… with the Holy of Holies at the exact center.  Interestingly, this is also the shape of a many, if not most, of Christian Cathedrals as well.  The Temple building itself is a rectangle, yes, but this whole area including the Temple courts was designated for worship!  Even back then, this symbol of faith is prominently displayed for all to see!

Solomon's TemplePhoto Credit: http://www.johnpratt.com/items/docs/lds/meridian/2008/temple.html

Solomon’s Temple
Photo Credit: http://www.johnpratt.com/items/docs/lds/meridian/2008/temple.html

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