1 Kings 5-6

1 Kings 5-6

Preparations for the Temple were finally made in the beginning of 1 Kings 5, and for the people of Israel, the Temple was finally becoming a reality. God had promised David that his son would be the one to build the Temple for the Lord, and God began fulfilling that promise when Solomon began to collect the supplies that he would need to build. Recently, I read through 1 and 2 Chronicles for a project for one of my classes, and as a result, I saw these same stories that we are about to walk through from a different perspective. Like the Gospels, which tell many of the same stories about Jesus (from different perspectives), 1 and 2 Chronicles track the kingship of Israel and Judah. They give us new details that the author of the Samuels and the Kings did not mention. For instance, many of the preparations for the Temple were made by David in his final days. Nevertheless, there was still work to be done before construction could begin, and that is the process Solomon was beginning in 1 Kings 5.


One of the main reasons construction could begin at this point in Israel’s history was due to the fact that there was no war around them. Because of Solomon’s obedience and humility, God had blessed Solomon beyond measure. He gave Solomon a very peaceful reign, free from war, and Solomon used that time to build. Some of the surrounding nations offered to help, like Hiriam who wanted to send Solomon a group of workers. The nations saw the great land that Israel had. They saw that Israel was a people who had been blessed by their God. In some ways, I think these nations wanted a part of what Israel had, which was God’s plan all along. Through Israel, God was trying to reach out to the rest of the nations of the world. So when Israel followed God, the nations took notice and saw God’s blessings as He poured it out on His faithful children.

With the help of Hiriam, Solomon had gathered together thousands of men who would help cut down trees and bring in the wood needed. He also drafted thousands of Israelites who would begin cutting stones and making other preparations for construction. By the end of 1 Kings 5, they were ready to begin construction. The foundation was the laid in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign, and 1 Kings 6 outlines the construction of the actual building. Solomon paid careful attention to the details. Each room was built and decorated according to God’s plan. Although His plans are not as laid out like they were for the tabernacle in Moses’ day, some of the characteristics between the two setups were the same.

The most important part of the Temple was the room in which God Himself would dwell, the Holy of Holies. This is where Moses met with God on occasion in the tabernacle, and it would serve the same function in the Temple. In fact, God promised Solomon that if he would continue to remain obedient to God’s commands as he had done, then God would remain with them forever. He would watch over the people of Israel and continue to bless them as long as they continued to follow Him. This is the same message that we have seen from the days of Moses. When God’s people followed Him, he poured out His blessings, but when they turned their backs against Him, punishment was sure to follow. There would be dark days in Israel’s future, but at this point, Israel was at one of its highest points because they were following God.

Matt