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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." 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. 
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. 
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. 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 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. 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. 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. 
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. 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. 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. 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.