1 Kings 7 is a long chapter. I'll read the entire chapter. We're certainly not going to look at all the details. It's basically just construction information.

So it should take about seven minutes tonight and then we're going to go home. No, we'll do a brief. I'll just explain sort of the outline of the passage and then try and draw out some lessons. I'm going to lean on Ralph Davis a bit tonight for some of these lessons.

But 1 Kings chapter 7, beginning in verse 1. But Solomon took 13 years to build his own house, so he finished all his house. He also built the house of the forest of Lebanon. Its length was 100 cubits, its width 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits, with four rows of cedar pillars and cedar beams on the pillars.

And it was paneled with cedar above the beams that were on 45 pillars, 15 to a row. There were windows with beveled frames in three rows, and window was opposite window in three tiers, and all the doorways and doorposts had rectangular frames, and window was opposite window in three tiers. He also made the hall of pillars. Its length was 50 cubits, and its width 30 cubits, and in front of them was a portico with pillars, and a canopy was in front of them.

Then he made a hall for the throne, the hall of judgment, where he might judge. And it was paneled with cedar from floor to ceiling. And the house where he dwelt had another court inside the hall, of like workmanship. Solomon also made a house like this hall for Pharaoh's daughter, whom he had taken as wife.

All these were of costly stones cut to size, trimmed with saws, inside and out, from the foundation to the eaves, and also on the outside to the great court. The foundation was of costly stones, large stones, some 10 cubits and some 8 cubits. And above were costly stones, hewn to size, and cedar wood. The great court was enclosed with three rows of hewn stones and a row of cedar beams.

So were the inner court of the house of the Lord and the vestibule of the temple. Now King Solomon sent and brought Huram from Tyre. He was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a bronze worker. He was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill and working with all kinds of bronze work.

So he came to King Solomon and did all his work. And he cast two pillars of bronze, each one 18 cubits high, and a line of 12 cubits measured the circumference of each. Then he made two capitals of cast bronze to set on the tops of the pillars. The height of one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other capital was five cubits.

He made a lattice network with wreaths of chain work for the capitals which were on top of the pillars, seven chains for one capital and seven for the other capital. So he made the pillars and two rows of pomegranates above the network all around to cover the capitals that were on top, and thus he did for the other capital. The capitals which were on top of the pillars in the hall were in the shape of lilies, four cubits. The capitals on the two pillars also had pomegranates above by the convex surface which was next to the network, and there were 200 such pomegranates in rows on each of the capitals all around.

Then he set up the pillars by the vestibule of the temple. He set up the pillar on the right and called its name Yakin. And he set up the pillar on the left and called its name Boaz. The tops of the pillars were in the shape of lilies.

So the work of the pillars was finished. And he made the sea of cast bronze, 10 cubits from one brim to the other. It was completely round. Its height was 5 cubits and a line of 30 cubits measured its circumference.

Below its brim were ornamental buds encircling it all around, ten to a cubit, all the way around the sea. The ornamental buds were cast in two rows when it was cast. It stood on 12 oxen, three looking toward the north, three looking toward the west, three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east. The sea was set upon them, and all their back parts pointed inward.

It was a handbreadth thick, and its brim was shaped like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It contained 2,000 baths. He also made 10 carts of bronze. Four cubits was the length of each cart.

Four cubits its width, and three cubits its height. And this was the design of the carts. They had panels, and the panels were between frames. On the panels that were between the frames were lions, oxen, and cherubim.

And on the frames was a pedestal on top. Below the lions and oxen were wreaths of plated work. Every cart had four bronze wheels and axles of bronze, and its four feet had supports. Under the laver were supports of cast bronze beside each wreath.

Its opening inside the crown at the top was one cubit in diameter, and the opening was round, shaped like a pedestal, one and a half cubits in outside diameter. Also on the opening were engravings, but the panels were square, not round. Under the panels were the four wheels, and the axles of the wheels were joined to the cart. The height of a wheel was one and a half cubits.

The workmanship of the wheels was like the workmanship of a chariot wheel. Their axle pins, their rims, their spokes, and their hubs were all of cast bronze. And there were four supports at the four corners of each cart. Its supports were part of the cart itself.

On the top of the cart, at the height of half a cubit, it was perfectly round. And on the top of the cart, its flanges and its panels were of the same casting. On the plates of its flanges and on its panels, he engraved cherubim, lions, and palm trees, wherever there was a clear space on each, with wreaths all around. Thus he made the ten carts.

All of them were of the same mold, one measure and one shape. Then he made 10 lavers of bronze. Each laver contained 40 baths, and each laver was four cubits. On each of the 10 carts was a laver.

And he put five carts on the right side of the house and five on the left side of the house. He set the sea on the right side of the house, toward the southeast. Hiram made the lavers and the shovels and the bowls. So Hiram finished doing all the work that he was to do for King Solomon for the house of the Lord.

The two pillars, the two bowl-shaped capitals that were on top of the two pillars, the two networks covering the two bowl-shaped capitals which were on top of the pillars, 400 pomegranates for the two networks, two rows of pomegranates for each network to cover the two bowl-shaped capitals that were on top of the pillars, the 10 carts and 10 lavers on the carts, one sea, and 12 oxen under the sea, the pots, the shovels, and the bowls. All these articles which Hurom made for King Solomon for the house of the Lord were of burnished bronze. In the plain of Jordan, the king had them cast in clay molds between Sukkoth and Zeritan. Solomon did not weigh all the articles, because there were so many.

The weight of the bronze was not determined. Thus Solomon had all the furnishings made for the house of the Lord, the altar of gold and the table of gold on which was the showbread, the lampstands of pure gold, five on the right side and five on the left in front of the inner sanctuary, with the flowers and the lamps and the wick trimmers of gold, the basins, the trimmers, the bowls, the ladles, and the censers of pure gold, and the hinges of gold, both for the doors of the inner room, the most holy place, and for the doors of the main hall of the temple. So all the work that King Solomon had done for the house of the Lord was finished. And Solomon brought in the things which his father David had dedicated, the silver and the gold and the furnishings.

He put them in the treasuries of the house of the Lord. Amen."

Introduction

Well, over the last several weeks, we have seen great amount of attention given to the building of the temple. 1 Kings chapter 5 was the preparation for the building. 1 Kings 6 dealt with the exterior and interior of the structure. Here in chapter 7, we're given verses 1 to 12, Solomon's palace, the construction of his palace and the buildings associated with that. Then from 13 to 51, completing the temple with reference to the preparation for the movement of the Ark of the Covenant into the temple. and the worship of the living God. So 1 Kings chapter 8, God willing next week, is when Solomon dedicates the temple and it's officially used by Israel for the worship of the Lord.

As we read through that, you'll see that the author gives a great deal of attention to explaining the various elements that went into the construction of the temple. I suspect that one of the reasons he does that is, again, to demonstrate the glory of God. The God of heaven and earth is worthy of such a dwelling on earth. The God of heaven and earth is most glorious, and what men make for Him ought to reflect His glory.

And I think we'll see that as we move through our study tonight. But as we look at the chapter as a whole, there are three main sections that we ought to observe.

Solomon's Palace: Verses 1–12

In the first place, the construction of the king's palace in verses 1 to 12. So the end of chapter 6 indicates that the temple took about 7 years and 6 months to build. Now it says it was finished, and then here in chapter 7 we see them finishing it. Again, this is a convention of Hebrew narrative.

There is a lot of repetition. And that's what's going on in this particular instance. But there is this bit of a digression in verses 1 to 12 concerning Solomon's palace. The buildings are specifically referred to in verses 2 to 8.

The house of the forest of Lebanon in verses 2 to 5. Commentators suspect that may have been an armory. It might have been a place to place weapons for warfare. The hall of pillars in verse 6. the hall of justice in verse 7, where Solomon would engage in his judicial proceedings with reference to the nation, the house of Solomon proper in verse 8a, and then the house of Pharaoh's daughter, verse 8b.

Remember that he took her as wife, perhaps the idea being she needed her own quarters, as was fitting, not only for being married to Solomon, but being the daughter of Pharaoh. And then some sundry notes in verses 9 to 12 concerning the specific materials that were used to construct Solomon's palace and these adjoining buildings.

Hiram the Craftsman: Verses 13–14

Then notice, secondly, the utilization of a qualified craftsman, this man Hiram. You'll also see it spelled Hiram, There's a bit of a difference in terms of the Septuagint and the Masoretic text. It could be Hiram, but it's not the same Hiram, the king of Tyre. If you compare 2 Chronicles 2, specifically verse 11, highlights King Tyre, and in 2.13, King Hiram of Tyre says that he is going to send this man Hiram to do the building in Israel.

But note specifically his qualification in verse 14. He had Israelite blood in him. He was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre. He was a bronze worker.

He was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill in working with all kinds of bronze work. So he came to King Solomon and did all his work. So now the narrative shifts again to the completion with reference to the furnishings for the temple. So all that Hiram undertakes is the bronze work.

The latter portion of chapter 7 deals with Solomon and the specific house of God and the gold that went into it. Again, you see the glory of God displayed when you get to say verse 40, verse 50, when it tells us that the hinges of the doors were gold. You know, nothing is to be spared when you're spending money to promote the glory of the God of Israel. Again, it's not as if we are buying His glory or we're financing His glory, but when God says to build a house for My name, because His name is great, the building itself ought to reflect that greatness right down to the hinges in the door being gold with reference to the Holy of Holies and to the holy place itself.

Temple Furnishings: Verses 15–51

So with reference to the completion of the furnishings, notice in verses 15 to 22, we have these two bronze pillars. It's literally Yaqin and Boaz. These are the names of these particular pillars. And we'll see a little more about them, not them, they're not. individuals or humans, but they, those pillars, are something we will observe in a few minutes.

But we have the two bronze pillars and then the sea and oxen in verses 23 to 26. Now this sea was this water laver prior to going into the the holy of holies, or going into the holy place. It was where the priests would wash and get sanctified for their particular task. So this sea, they call it a sea, it was a big, big, very big, I think the NIV has specific gallons, actually the New King James has it, held about 12,000 gallons.

So it is that which the priests washed in. Now these carts that come beyond this, the carts and lavers were probably something more portable for when they're killing animals and they needed water right near them. Remember that? That's what they did in this temple.

They killed animals. Remember the very purpose for which it stood was the whole idea of sacrifice. God comes at the end of Exodus to dwell among his people. But the people cannot meet with God until they go through the sacrificial system.

That's the connection between the books of Exodus and Leviticus. The tabernacle, which was the portable temple, prior to the construction of Solomon's temple, the children of Israel used the tabernacle in order to worship God. It was structurally the same. When we get to the end of chapter 7, it starts to describe what's in the holy place and in the holy of holies.

That is virtually synonymous with what you find in the tabernacle. But in Exodus, they build the tabernacle. God's glory comes down and fills the tabernacle. This is referred to as the Shekinah glory.

And in Exodus chapter 40, it tells us that not even Moses himself could go in there because of the glory of God. So you see the movement. God says, build a house for my name so that I can dwell in your presence. Well, God comes and he dwells. but up to that point they are not meeting with him.

He's dwelling there, the Shekinah is burning, but Moses himself, the godliest man in Israel, can't meet with God. That's the purpose for the book of Leviticus. Leviticus chapters 1 to 9 specifies the sacrifice. In other words, you can't meet with God without bloodshed.

You can't meet with God without sacrifice. You can't meet with God without atonement because God is holy and you are sinful. God is a righteous God and we are unrighteous men and women. The only way that a holy God is going to meet with unholy man is if unholy man is forgiven of his sins.

And so the book of Leviticus demonstrates, as Morales says, that the way to Yahweh is through a bloody knife and a smoking altar. That's the purpose for this dwelling place, this temple. And so the priests needed access to water that would be a bloody, drippy mess when they were killing animals, and I suspect it was structured in such a way, I mean, some of the details, my mind isn't construction-oriented, So I'm not able to visualize, but as I read the commentators, not many of them are able to visualize in terms of the specific details that are given. John Gill makes a valiant attempt.

If you want a detailed explanation of 1 Kings 7, I commend John Gill to your reading. But there was probably slats in the way things were raised up so that blood would drip and move out so it wouldn't be a foul, stinky mess that would gather there. It was constructed for the purpose of sacrifice so that Israel could meet with their God. And so all of this is commanded by God. and it's being orchestrated by Solomon or under Solomon by this man Huram.

So you've got the two bronze pillars, the sea and oxen, the carts and lavers. I think last week I said that temples typically were structured to represent the cosmos. the entirety of the earth, and the entirety of the created order. Some people see, based on Genesis 1, 7, and several statements in the book of Revelation, this is actually a doctrine, is that there is water before the heaven of God. You've got our atmosphere, you've got space, and then you've got God wherever heaven is, where God is.

There are references that there is water prior to the access to the heavens. Again, Genesis 1-7, Revelation, this is a real legit thing. This is a legitimate option. Revelation 4, 6, Revelation 15, 2, Revelation 20, 2, 1.

And then you see the placement in the tabernacle of this water prior to the holy place. And so if temples do represent the cosmos, this might be another indicator of that, this water separating where the heaven of God is. It may be that structural thing. that is duplicated in temple-making as we move from Genesis to Revelation. We've got the two bronze pillars, the sea and the oxen, the carts and labors, and then you have a summary in verses 40 to 47, simply saying what Hiram had made.

And specifically in verses 40 and following, it's the more smaller implements that would be used or utilized during the process of worship, the various bowls, the various things that were, the decor that was applied to these particular things that were used in the temple proper. And then the provision of gold in verses 48 to 51. And then notice in verse 51, so all the work that King Solomon had done for the house of the Lord was finished. And Solomon brought in the things which his father David had dedicated.

This is very important. showing us continuity. God promised David, 2 Samuel 7, that God would raise up a son from David that would build a house for God. And so what we find here is that connection. Again, that reference or that hat tip to the Davidic covenant, which his father David had dedicated the silver and the gold and the furnishings.

He put them in the treasuries of the house of the Lord. So there, as I said, it was going to be brief, but I do want to draw out a few lessons. In the first place, we ought to appreciate the emphasis in the section, chapters 5 to 7. I should tell you that

Worship Over Earthly Government

there are some men who read chapters 7 in one of two different ways. First of all, there are those who say that Solomon was more concerned with his house than with God's house. If you look at the text, at the end of chapter 6, we find that the building of the temple took seven years. If we look at the months, it would be seven years and six months.

Well, he took 13 years to build his own house. Of course, some see in this, you know, that Solomon was more concerned about his own palace and about his own comfort than he was for the house of God, because it, A, took longer than the temple, as well, it was bigger than the temple. Also, the temple had quite a bit of cedar, but his palace is identified, or at least a portion is identified, as the house of the forest of Lebanon. So, some see in this hints or suggestions of what will prove later to be Solomon's downfall.

Remember, he multiplies women. Well, here we might be able to understand that he's multiplying wealth. He quite likes this palace. He quite likes this setup.

And remember the prohibition in Deuteronomy 17. The king of Israel was not supposed to multiply weapons, women, or wealth. And so Solomon here, according to one reading, is that he spent almost twice as long on his own house than he did on the house of the Lord. The other view, the view that I hold, is that Solomon was indeed more concerned with God's house than his own house.

First of all, 8, 11 to 13, when he dedicates it, tells us that he spared no expense. Notice in chapter 8, specifically at verse 10, it came to pass when the priest came out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord. That's that Shekinah glory. So that the priest could not continue ministering because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.

Then Solomon spoke, the Lord said he would dwell in the dark cloud. I have surely built you an exalted house and a place for you to dwell in forever. It certainly would be odd if indeed Solomon was more concerned about his own house than God's house, that God in his glory would descend upon God's house. It wouldn't be just simply odd if this was, if God was disapproving of the way that Solomon conducted himself, then why would God come to the house built by Solomon?

As well, the materials used for the temple were very costly. Temple size was not necessarily an indication of devotion to deity. Just because you had a big house or a bigger house, I mean, remember, you're going to be using that for different applications than you are the house of the Lord. And then as well, considering that the temple was much smaller than the palace itself, Seven years is pretty generous to spend on a building that is smaller than what we have in the palace.

And then in the case of the temple, there had been extensive advanced planning in the acquisition of materials. That was not the case with reference to the palace itself. I mean, there was a lot that went into the preparation. to build the temple that we don't find in the palace. So I do not believe that Solomon valued his own house over God's house.

I believe that he valued God's house, but this is a time when it tells us that there are other building projects that the king undertook. Remember, David's situation was a little bit different. David was sitting in his house that was covered with cedar and paneling, and he thought to himself, I'm living in this house of comfort, and God's dwelling in a tent. Well, here Solomon has built the house of God, and then he builds his own house.

So structurally, the narrator here in chapter 7 spends 12 verses on Solomon's palace, and he spends 39 verses on the temple. And that after chapter 5, which dealt with the preparation, and chapter 6, which was another very long chapter dealing with the actual construction of the temple. So if we were to look at how many verses are poured into the description of the temple, we ought to conclude at least, theologically, the author is suggesting to us that the worship of God is more important than earthly government. And I realize that's a tough lesson for North Americans because we all love our politics.

We all love to watch government. We have been taught from our earliest days to be somewhat dependent upon government. You see, Israel was taught to depend on God. Israel was taught that worship trumped, no pun intended, God himself.

Worship was the priority for Old Covenant Israel. Not that government was not important, not that there wasn't a role for king and cabinet, not that we should have anarchy, that's not what I'm suggesting. But if we simply look at the verses in comparison, we have this many given to the description of Solomon's house, and we have this many given to the description of God's house. It seems as if the narrator is saying, I want you to focus on that which is most important.

It is where God dwells, it is where God meets with His people, it is with God and sinners reconciled through Jesus Christ.

Dignity of Skilled Labour

A second observation or a lesson I think we ought to learn concerns this man, Hurom. Notice the text in verse 14. He was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a bronze worker. He was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill in working with all kinds of bronze work.

So he came to King Solomon and did all his work. Now, the labors undertaken for the kingdom of God are significant, whether priestly or constructive. You see, this man gets a shout out and he's a builder. Think in the church today, we think only, you know, guys who preach the gospel, or guys who go overseas and do gospel ministry, or only missionaries are the ones that we ought to take.

No, everybody who contributes to the kingdom of God ought to be recognized as a servant of God. This man here, was skilled in bronze, and he's got a large portion of scripture dedicated to him in his craftsmanship. And if you read this passage, it should suggest to you, if it doesn't, I'm going to suggest it to you, a description of two other men in the book of Exodus, two men by the name of Betzalel and Aholiab. And these men were the builders of the tabernacle.

John Gill makes the connection. He says, and it seems, excuse me, by the mode of expression that besides his natural genius and his diligence in industry, he was filled with wisdom from God more immediately for the service as Betzael and Aholiab were for the service of the tabernacle. It says that specifically. In Exodus 31, 1 to 11, Exodus 35, 30 to 36, 1, we see these two artisans described, and it tells us that the Spirit of the Lord was upon them.

So I think in this we ought to conclude or at least infer that our labors, whatever they may be, if they contribute to the promotion of the kingdom of God, and it doesn't matter what it is you do as long as it's not sinful, it is something God approves of. So I don't want to get too, you know, off the beaten track here, but there is this doctrine of diligence, hard work, wisdom in our vocations in our callings. And as well, we ought to recognize if a man is equipped to do these kinds of things, he ought to praise God from whom all blessings flow. There are some of us who couldn't pick a...

No, I think I can tell the difference between a hammer and a... and a screwdriver, but there's guys that do amazing things, and I think, wow, that's just an impressive, wonderful thing that God has gifted you with. I think Gil is right. Besides his natural genius and diligence in industry, he was filled with wisdom from God more immediately for the service. In fact, turn to Proverbs 22.

I wonder if when Solomon wrote Proverbs 22, he thought in terms of Huram, this man from Tyre that was highly skilled. Proverbs 22, 29. Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings.

He will not stand before unknown men. When Solomon asks Hiram, king of Tyre, for aid and assistance in building the temple, Hiram, king of Tyre, says, yeah, I've got a guy. His name is Hiram. So Hiram stood before Hiram.

And then Hiram went and stood before Solomon. There is a doctrine of hard work, not simply from the Fourth Commandment, which the Fourth Commandment certainly does teach us to rest, but also teaches us to work. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. You're supposed to work hard with reference to life.

And if God has equipped you and given you a gift, a task, a talent, then use it for his glory. Proverbs 6, while we're there and while we're on this theme, Proverbs 6, 6, go to the aunt, you sluggard, consider her ways and be wise, which having no captain, overseer, or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer and gathers her food in the harvest. How long will you slumber, oh sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep?

A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep, so shall your poverty come on you like a prowler and your need like an armed man. Ecclesiastes 9 and 10, whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might. Ephesians chapter 4, I love Paul's encouragement to the ex-thieves in Ephesus. Ephesians chapter 4, he's given instructions to the people of God, basically ethics for the new man.

Ethics for the new man, those who have been born again by the grace of God, who have confessed saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, here's how you're supposed to live. Here's how you're supposed to conduct yourself. Notice in verse 25, therefore putting away lying, let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Makes sense, right?

You're a believer now. Don't lie. Speak the truth. Verse 26, be angry, do not sin, do not let the sun go down on your wrath.

You're believers now, deal with your issues, reconcile, pursue harmony. Now notice in verse, well verse 27 goes with it, nor give place to the devil. Now notice verse 28, let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. So not only work hard to provide for your own needs, but work hard enough to provide for the needs of others.

And I love 1 Thessalonians 4. Again, while we're on this point, 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. There have been a rash of books that have come out over the last several years, probably over the last several thousands of years, ever since Christ came and rose from the dead and went back into heaven. All these books are written and there's something good about it.

We need to be fired up for Jesus. We need to be passionate for Jesus. We need to do things for Jesus. But somehow being a plumber never quite counts for doing things for Jesus.

Doing things for Jesus means going to the mission field. Doing things for Jesus means selling everything you have and walking through cities and praying. Doing things for Jesus always includes something very radical. Well, it's interesting.

Doing things for Jesus, according to Jesus, means continuing, at times, in the same vocation you were in before you met Jesus. Remember that instance in John chapter 21. Jesus has risen from the dead, And he goes to find his disciples, and where are they? They're fishing.

And does Jesus say, how dare you fish! Get out of that boat! Sell the boat! Give the money to the poor!

And go! Walk through cities! He says, throw your net on the other side of the boat, and you'll catch a lot of fish. God's not against the ordinary, brethren.

God is not against you getting up early, going to work, working hard, coming home, enjoying time with your family, going back to bed, and doing that again for the next 50 years, and doing it well for the glory of God. Notice 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 9. But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. And indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia.

But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more, that you aspire to lead what? A quiet life. Paul wasn't preaching radical Christianity. Radical Christianity is living a quiet life to the glory of God.

Radical Christianity is being a faithful, disciplined, diligent human being. That's radical Christianity. Now, God does call some people to sell everything they have and go live on a hill and tell people about Jesus. That's fine.

But most of us, we're going to be ordinary, regular folk. And that's okay, according to God through Paul. That you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you. That you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.

The emphasis in Scripture from Genesis to Revelation on diligence and on hard work, and I think this man Huram represents that for us. He was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill and working with all kinds of bronze work. He certainly had genius of his own, diligence and industry. He also had the blessing of God.

He was a man who excelled in his work, and therefore he stood before God as a construction worker. It's not just missionaries that God notices. One other passage, I guess I should never forget 1 Corinthians 15 in this particular context. I love what Paul says as he finishes this great chapter on the resurrection.

First Corinthians 1558, therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Now we take that and we say, well, the work of the Lord must mean tracts on a Saturday morning. The work of the Lord must mean, you know, missionary to Timbuktu. No, it's what we do in the name of Jesus Christ in our normal everyday lives.

It's ordinary Christianity doing it unto the glory of God and realize that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Why is it not an act of service to the Lord God when we encourage one another, when we pray for one another, when we visit one another, when we tell a neighbor, hey, we're going to pray for you at the prayer meeting tonight? You know, we tend to look at things and we quantify things differently than I think God does. You know, it has to be something big.

It has to be something that, you know, a hundred people like on Facebook or else it just doesn't qualify as something noteworthy. I don't think God works that way. I really don't believe God is scanning Facebook to see who's liking what in order to gain his approbation. Brethren, take a lesson from Huram and do what you're supposed to do for the glory of God.

Jachin and Boaz: Promise and Power

Thirdly, another lesson we ought to appreciate comes from those two pillars. These are witnesses to Yahweh's faithfulness and power. Witnesses to Yahweh's faithfulness and power. The pillars were most likely freestanding and not weight-bearing, so therefore they were not functional.

They were not functional. You weren't putting stuff on them. They weren't holding together, you know, a portion of the temple. They were symbolic.

They were decorative. They were there for a reason, and that reason was most likely to remind those entering the temple concerning two points of theology that were most essential for every Israelite entering into the temple. And those two points of theology come from, guess what, their names, Yaqin and Boaz. Yaqin means he, Yahweh, will establish.

He will establish. The verb form of the word is used in 2 Samuel 7, the Davidic Covenant, three times. The verb form is used in 1 Kings 2, four times, with reference to securing Solomon's hold on the temple. So when you saw that pillar named Yaqin, you thought God will establish.

Davis explains, Yaqeen, I hold, means to encapsulate Yahweh's promise that David's dynasty would be the vehicle through which he would bring his kingdom on earth. Yahweh will establish the royal line. And then the name Boaz means in him, Yahweh, is strength. So you've got the Lord will establish and the Lord is strength.

What two better reminders as you go to that temple complex than those two concepts concerning God? So these pillars are faithful witnesses testifying to who God is. Davis sort of brings the data together and explains thus. Here then are, he will establish, Joachim, and in him is strength, Boaz, serving as sentinels in front of the temple proper.

The first highlights the promise of God. The second, the power of God. The first recalls what God has said. The second suggests what God can do.

Joachim points to the original anchor of God's Word. Boaz points to his ongoing adequacy to bring that Word to pass. Or one could say that Joachim emphasizes the foundation on which the king and the people are to rely, while Boaz signifies the resources upon which they must draw. Joachim then would highlight Yahweh's gift while Boaz would point to their task.

So there was theology communicated to the Israelites by these two pillars that were serving, as Davis says, as sentinels over the temple.

Glory of God in Preparation

A fourth lesson we ought to draw out, not just from this chapter, but from the whole section. The glory of God is seen in the preparation for the building of the temple. Remember, we talked about that in chapter 5. If you're married and your spouse has gone away on a trip, They're going to come home.

You take pains to prepare so that they have a nice homecoming or your son goes off to college and he comes home or the military and he comes home. You know, you make his bed, you cook him something nice. I think we tried to do that with our son. We didn't throw tomatoes at him when he walked up.

You prepare. And it's that preparation that goes along with the presentation that communicates to that person how valuable they are to you. I mean, if you didn't make their bed and you didn't have a nice meal and you didn't think twice about their returning home, they might begin to think, well, maybe they don't really want me here, and go off and cry somewhere, find a safe space and cry. This preparation that was taken with reference to building the house of God demonstrates His glory.

The glory of God is seen in the construction of the temple here in chapter 7 and as well in chapter 6. The glory of God is seen in the value of the materials utilized in the construction of the temple. I mean, gold is everywhere, right? Again, the hinges are gold, pure gold.

Do you imagine if you went into Home Depot and said, I'd like to buy pure gold hinges? They'd say, are you nuts? Why do you want pure gold hinges? Well, we're building a house for God.

I mean, we wouldn't say that, but in this context, you would have. And then the glory of God is ultimately seen in his willingness to dwell in the midst of his people.

Attention to Detail and Reverence

A fifth lesson is the attention to detail. A tough chapter, you know, if we were going to take it verse by verse, it'd be very difficult, right? There's a great amount of attention to detail in this chapter. I mean, the author, you know, we probably, again, if you're given to construction and you like these sorts of things, you probably read this with a certain joy and glee.

I find it, you know, I'm looking for where is the Lord. Typically when I read narrative I look for Yahweh in all caps and then I kind of know there's some theology going on there and just try to piece it all together. But there's attention to detail. Pomegranates after pomegranates after pomegranates.

They liked pomegranates, didn't they? I mean, there is just detail here. The narrator writes with a view to highlight the intricate details of this building project. Again, I think it is to shine the light on the glory of God.

One more quote from Davis. He says, item by item he sees science and art in the service of Israel's God. Is he not suggesting that intricate, carefully wrought beauty is most fitting for the God of the Bible? See, what he's describing here is beautiful.

This is a beautiful place. That's why, you know, we shouldn't have litter. I'm not jumping from temple to church building. Remember last week, Davis says, you can't do that.

You can't have a church building program and say, brethren, we got to be like first kings and start donating money because we got to have gold. The church is similar to synagogue worship, not temple. There's some major discontinuities between Old Covenant worship and New Covenant worship. What was the temple for?

Sacrifice. We don't sacrifice in the church the way they did. Our praise is a sacrifice unto God, to be sure. As well, incense was utilized in the temple.

There was furnishings in the temple. There was instruments in the temple. There were things that were used in the temple that are not consistent with the church, but we should at least appreciate some degree of parallel. If God demands that sort of thing in the old covenant, should we be sloppy in the new?

I don't think so. He says, is he not implying that nothing can be too good, too lavish, too well done for such a marvelous God? We must never offer slop to him. Who would have thought that the Holy Spirit might use 1 Kings 7 to convict us of the flippant and casual procedures we sometimes call worship.

So you see, it's different in the way that we approach God, the church versus the temple, not that there's combat, but the principle is the same. The God who is over the temple, demanding that degree of beauty and glory and excellency and majesty, we ought to appreciate those same realities today. You know, going to the Cascade is always a blessing for me because I'm dealing with older people and I don't mean 10 years. These are like old saints.

They got old people there. Like I said, Rachel just went to the hospital at 98. Her mind, when she remembered me, her mind was clear. Oh, I pray for pastors every Saturday, she says.

I try to pray for the pastors that I know preach the gospel. Every Saturday I pray that God will bless them on their big day tomorrow, and that he will give them the words to speak, and he'll give the message to the congregation. I mean, she's just going through this at 98, you know? And these older brethren, though, always remind me that this is a different generation.

You know, their generation, they showed up at church. They wore nice clothes. They didn't bring, you know, Starbucks. I'm not picking on anybody's Starbucks tonight.

But they didn't have preachers standing up there with torn jeans and their own latte and their hipster glasses and their weird hats just trying to be cool and relevant. Something has happened to the church that isn't good. Something has happened to bring it down a few rungs on the ladder. We look at it as something that is optional rather than something that is absolutely crucial for not only God's glory but for our well-being.

If the church is the true temple of God, which because of Christ, if that is where God has promised to dwell in the New Covenant community, then why aren't we always present? Why aren't we always there? Why aren't we seeking by the grace of God to present ourselves as living sacrifices, the way Paul tells us in Romans chapter 12? Something has gone awry in evangelicalism and in the reform world today when we take worship as an experience that is more horizontal than it is vertical.

We are coming into the presence of a thrice holy God, a God who for three chapters has people explaining to us the great detail that went into building a house for his name. Now, if there's a group of people that can't afford nice clothes and they can't afford nice buildings, that's fine. That's not a crime. It's not a sin.

But when there are people that have it but are just too lazy to do it, what's it ultimately communicating? Yeah, I'll get dressed up to go visit the prime minister if he ever bid me to come, but for God, eh. Or I won't be on time for church? Brethren, we start at 11.

No one should ever be late. I'm sorry. This is not acceptable. We have an 11 o'clock start time.

You're not late when you got to work at 6 a.m. You're there with bells on. Or you've got an appointment at the dentist, which I've got to make tomorrow because I popped the filling out. I'm not going to be late if they say 830.

I hope they say 830. I really want to get in and out. See, we just communicate things about our view of God, the way we treat God, in the worship of God. That's just something I observe with these older folks that I go to visit at the Cascades.

Good for my soul, it encourages me, but it also causes me to to ponder our generation. I don't mean ours specifically, just the church context today.

The Demand of the Heart

And then finally, we ought never to forget the demand in 1 Kings 6. This is all a unit, and we shouldn't forget what the emphasis is in 1 Kings 6. Right in the middle of the description, or as we move from the description of the exterior of the temple to the interior, Solomon is told to focus on the heart. 1 Kings 6.11 Then the word of the Lord came to Solomon, saying, Concerning this temple which you are building, if you walk in my statutes, execute my judgments, keep all my commandments, and walk in them, then I will perform my word with you, which I spoke to your father David. And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.

It's unfortunate for us as modern readers, because we know the end of the story, don't we? Everybody's happy here in 1 Kings chapter 6 and 7 and 8. Everybody's thrilled that the temple is constructed. Solomon's dedication is absolutely beautiful.

God's glory comes down and fills the place. But it's not long after that that Solomon ends up in great, great rebellion against God. It's not long after that that the Northern Kingdom falls. It's not long after that that the Southern Kingdom falls, and the temple itself is ultimately destroyed.

We ought never to forget 1 Kings 6, 11 to 13, like Israel forgot it. And that's what the rest of the king's narratives will ultimately show us, that the people were not faithful. They took it for granted. They became complacent about the temple in their own midst.

So I guess there is nothing new under the sun. It happened to them, happens to us, but brethren, we must guard our hearts against it. Well, let us pray.

Closing Prayer

Our Father in Heaven, we thank you for the Word of God, and we thank you for this emphasis upon the temple, and the emphasis ultimately on your glory, and on your majesty, and on your excellence. I pray that we would think more theologically when we come to worship, that we would think more concerning the fact that you establish and that you are powerful, that these pillars in 1 Kings 7 would even speak to us as we enter into the Church of God. and that we would find great joy and comfort in your presence, and that you would be pleased to dwell in the midst of your people here. And we ask that you would go with us now, watch over us in the remainder of this week, bring us together on the Sabbath day, that we may worship you in spirit and truth. And we pray through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Scripture References

• Genesis 1; 1-7
• Exodus 31:1-11; 35:30-36:1; 40
• Leviticus 1-9
• Deuteronomy 17
• 1 Kings 2; 5; 6; 6:11; 6:11-13; 7; 8:10; 8:11-13
• 2 Chronicles 2:11; 2:13; 2:14
• 2 Samuel 7
• Proverbs 6:6; 22:29
• Ecclesiastes 9:10
• John 21
• Romans 12
• 1 Corinthians 15; 15:58
• Ephesians 4; 4:25; 4:26; 4:28
• 1 Thessalonians 4; 4:9
• Revelation 4:6; 15:2; 20:21