Review Of 1Kings 7

– by Victor Fawole

I welcome everyone back to our “No Bible, No Breakfast” spiritual exercise, as we look forward to the GOG Conference that starts on Thursday. Last time out, our reading of chapter 6 helped us to appreciate the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit in every believer. Today’s chapter continues the narrative of Solomon’s Temple and Palace constructions. I’d love us to touch on some details and draw some lessons.

Join me to review…

THE PERIOD

1Kgs. 7:1 But Solomon took thirteen years to build his own house; so he finished all his house.

So, there are people who find it troubling that Solomon spent 7 years on building the Temple while he spent 13 years on building his own house. That’s almost double the duration. Although the Bible does not clearly suggest that he neglected God’s house, it clearly shows the disparity in the size and features of the royal complex. Well, such criticism should not be blown out of proportion. I’d give three reasons…

• 1. The specifications for the Temple were strictly given by God, and must be obeyed. There was no room for personal choices. However, there were no specifications for Solomon’s palace, and he was at liberty to follow his personal choices. So, it is not out of place that his personal choices required more time and planning.
• 2. We must applaud the fact that he prioritized building the Temple first. He spent time and resources on God’s building before attending to his personal project. That is commendable. 
• 3. And when we consider the size and different sections of the palace, the several halls and courtyards, we will understand why it took more time to build it. It was not a single structure. It was a massive complex that included:

• – The House of the Forest of Lebanon – land area of 1,045m²
• – The Hall of Pillars for assemblies – land area of 314m²
• – The Hall of Judgement for public governance – land area of about 250 – 280m²
• – The Royal Residence – land area of about 670 – 840m²
• – The House for Pharaoh’s daughter (his queen) – land area of about 260 – 325m²

Adding courtyards, corridors, storage, servants’ quarters, stables, and gardens, scholars estimate that the entire complex covered between 4-5 acres, roughly the size of four football fields. This made it one of the largest royal complexes in the ancient Near East, comparable to those of Mesopotamian and Egyptian kingdoms.

However, we must not gloss over the concerns raised. We can draw some spiritual lessons from it. The Bible warns against spending more time on self than on service to God. While Solomon’s actions are not condemned, there are some lessons we must learn…

1. Avoid Self-Preoccupation:

There is always a temptation to devote more energy to personal matters than to God’s service. When our homes, careers, or ambitions begin to consume more of our time and passion than our relationship with God, then we begin to create an imbalance.

2. Affirm Your Priority:

Solomon taught us that our priority must be God first. The Temple and the palace are both important, but one must come before the other. He did not begin his palace until the Temple was finished.

3. Aspire To Be Excellent:

It is worthy to note that both God’s Temple and Solomon’s Palace were beautifully constructed. They sparkled with excellence. As believers, we must reflect God’s glory both in worship and in work. We must ensure excellence in all we do. No wonder “Excellence” is one of our core values in the Gospel of Grace Outreach.

THE PILLARS

1Kgs. 7:1 And he cast two pillars of bronze, each one eighteen cubits high, and a line of twelve cubits measured the circumference of each.

Solomon hired a man named Huram from Tyre to do the bronze work on the Temple. This guy was an expert of all kinds of bronze work. He had a Gentile father (from Tyre) and a Hebrew mother (from Naphtali). God equips men with extraordinary artistic gifts for His own glory (Exo. 31:1-6; 35:30-35). 

Huram built two pillars. The brass used to make them had been taken by King David from the king of Zobah as part of the spoils of war (1Chro. 18:8-9). The two pillars were named Jachin and Boaz (2Chro. 3:17). These names are significant. Jachin means “he will establish” and Boaz means “in him is strength”. Together, they proclaim the truth: “God establishes His kingdom by His own strength.” 

These two pillars foreshadow the Church as the Pillar of truth (1Tim. 3:15). The Church is a place where believers are established in their relationship with God. We receive strength from God. And interestingly, Jesus promised that believers would eventually become pillars in God’s Temple (Rev. 3:12).

Dear Gogolights, we are called to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness… (Matt. 6:33). When the work of God is placed first, we will experience balance and blessings in our personal pursuits. Let us keep living for God, as He continues to use us for His glory.

God bless you for reading this review.

Thank you for sharing your reflections too.

See you tomorrow, beloveds.

Grace to you, Church!