Review Of 1Kings 6

– by Victor Fawole

I welcome everyone to 2nd Kings Chapter 6, the first chapter in the record of the planning, building, and dedication of the Temple. This chapter is the fulfillment of David’s lifelong dream, the building of a permanent Temple for God in Jerusalem. In this review, we will look beyond the architectural records into the spiritual lessons and parallels. We would also look into the typological revelation of Christ and the Church.

Let us review…

THE SEASON OF CONSTRUCTION

1Kgs. 6:1 And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord.

In the wilderness, the tabernacle was mobile and temporary. And now under Solomon, God approved the building of a fixed and glorious dwelling place among His people. It took seven years to complete the construction. It began 480 years after the Exodus, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign. 

According to 2Chr. 3:1, the Temple was built on Mount Moriah. This location has a rich history. Mount Moriah was first in Genesis 22. It was the location where Abraham obeyed God’s command to offer Isaac on the altar. At the last moment, the angel of the LORD intervened and provided a ram caught in a thicket. You might want to read the review of that chapter. 

Centuries later, Mount Moriah became the place of atonement for David. When he sinned by numbering Israel, judgement fell upon the nation. Through Prophet Gad, God commanded him to build an altar on the threshing floor of Araunah, which was situated on Mount Moriah.

Many centuries later, Mount Moriah came back to the picture. Very close to this mountain is Golgotha (Calvary), where Jesus Christ was crucified. Mount Moriah and Mount Calvary are geographically within the same range. On Mount Moriah, Abraham offered Isaac, and God offered His only Son. David’s sacrifice turned away wrath, and Christ’s sacrifice satisfied God’s wrath forever. Solomon built a Temple, and Christ’s body became the true and eternal Temple (John 2:19-21). From Abraham’s ram to David’s altar, from Solomon’s Temple to Christ’s cross, Moriah is a reminder that God provides, God pardons, God dwells, and God redeems.

THE SPECIFICATIONS OF CONSTRUCTION

1Kgs. 6:2ff Now the house which King Solomon built for the Lord, its length was sixty cubits, its width twenty, and its height thirty cubits.

Solomon’s Temple was an architectural masterpiece. God gave David the architectural design through revelation (1Chr. 28:19). David passed the blueprint to Solomon. The dimensions were perfectly balanced. God is a God of order, stability, and symmetry. His perfection was shown in creation. This is not a new thing in the Bible. Noah built the ark according to all that God commanded (Gen. 6:22). Moses built the tabernacle according to the pattern shown him on the mount (Exo. 25:9). And Solomon built the Temple according to the plan given by the Spirit (1Chr. 28:12).

Every detail carries a spiritual symbolism pointing to Christ. The Outer Court is the place of sacrifice and cleansing, and it points to justification (we are cleansed by the blood of Christ). The Holy Place is where the lampstand, the table of showbread, and the altar of incense are placed. It talks of sanctification and fellowship. The Holy of Holies is where the Ark of the Covenant resided, where they had communion with God. In the reviews of Exodus 25 and Exodus 26, I explained the spiritual significance of each of the items used.

THE SECURITY OF CONSTRUCTION

1Kgs. 6:13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel.”

God spoke to Solomon and gave him His promise. The promise had three parts…

• His Company: “I will dwell among them.”
• His Covering: “I will not forsake My people.”
• His Condition: “If you walk in My statutes.”

Everything symbolized in Solomon’s Temple was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost, the day often called “the birthday of the Church.” At Pentecost, God moved His dwelling place from stones to spirit, from a building made with hands to the bodies of believers. The fire upon the altar became the flame upon their heads (Acts 2:3). 

The Shekinah glory now lives in us. We are the living temples made holy by the finished work of Christ, and the Spirit now dwells in us (1Cor. 6:19, 2Cor. 6:16). In the Old Testament, the Shekinah glory dwelt between the cherubim above the Ark. However, because of Israel’s rebellion, that glory departed (Eze. 10:18–19; 11:23). But for us under the New Covenant, the Spirit indwelling is permanent and irrevocable (Eph. 1:13). Believers may grieve (Eph. 4:30) or quench (1Thess. 5:19) the Spirit, but we can never lose Him. The Spirit’s seal is God’s unbreakable mark of ownership and eternal security.

One may ask: How can the Holy God dwell permanently in sinful men? The answer lies in the finished sacrifice of Christ. Before the cross, the Spirit came upon people for tasks or seasons (Judg. 3:10; 1Sam. 10:10; 16:14), and He could depart at the presence of sin (Psa. 51:11). But after the cross, Christ’s blood cleansed the believer’s heart once for all (Heb. 9:14). The veil was torn and we have permanent access (Matt. 27:51). The Spirit could now dwell in man forever (John 14:16-17).

Paul calls this mystery “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27). The greatest wonder of grace is that God has chosen to make His home in us. The eternal omnipotent God now abides in His people through the Holy Spirit. The implication is that worship is no longer tied to a physical place (John 4:21-24). Holiness is no longer by performance, but by relationship. The believer’s heart has become the Holy of Holies. And because we are now the temples of God, purity must be maintained (1Cor. 6:19-20), idols must be expelled (2Cor. 6:16-18), and holiness must dictate our conduct (Eph. 4:30).

God bless you for reading this review.

Thank you for sharing your reflections too.

See you next time, beloveds.

Grace to you, Church!