1 Kings Chapter 6-8

Building the Temple

Dr John C McEwan

The Great Project

Verses 1 13
The Temple is described
both here and in 2 Chronicles 3-4. The
descriptions are given by those who were
looking at the Temple and so the details are not
extensive enough to get anything other than an
artists impression. Note Gods Word, vss 11-13
Verses 14 37
The Temple building itself is
simple, but the other buildings around it and the
storage rooms and decorations made it a
wonder of its day.

The Great Palace

Ch 7: 1 12
It took 7 years to build the
Temple, but 13 years to complete his palace; this
gives us an idea of the size. It will house 1000
wives plus staff and may have covered much
of the area known as the Western Hill, as later
a covered way will be built from the palace to the
Temple.
Verses 13 22
The famous metal worker
of Tyre, also called Hiram, arrived to cast the
enormous bronze pieces for the Temple.

The Staggering Metal Working

Verses 23 39
The metal work for this
Temple was staggering in its complexity and
efficiency. Its effect would have been to overawe
the visitor.
Verses 40 51
The casting was done in
the Jordan Valley where multiple furnaces
needed to deliver their molten metal at exactly
the right time to set the bronze without error! It
was 13 years of precision casting, delivery, and
assembly work, without the sound of a hammer
on the Temple work site.

Bringing Up the Ark

Verses 1 13
Great care was taken to
ensure this was done with great dignity, for
Solomon was establishing a new worship site
and it had to be a unique event. Gods glory fills
the site.
Verses 14 21
Solomon has a prepared
speech, copies of which would have been read
to the vast crowd assembled beyond ear shot.
Re-read these verses slowly and get their Holy
Spirit inspired power. 2 Chronicles 5-6.

Solomons Great Prayer

Verses 22 53 Once again, this was a
prepared and carefully crafted prayer,
copies of which would have been
available. It is packed with Bible Doctrine.
Verses 54 61 Solomons Benediction
is another master piece of Holy Spirit
inspired leadership and Bible Teaching.
Re-read this again slowly aloud.

Solomons Great Feast

Verses 62 66 in 2 Chronicles 7:1-11
we have more detail given. Read this
passage now, and see the Lords fire
consumes the first offering to certify this
place as special. Solomon feeds several
hundred thousand people from this great
feast and he ensures that all remember
these days for the rest of their lives.