In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites came out of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, the second month, he began to build the temple of the Lord. 2 The temple that King Solomon built for the Lord was sixty cubits long, twenty wide and thirty high. 3 The portico at the front of the main hall of the temple extended the width of the temple, that is twenty cubits, and projected ten cubits from the front of the temple. 4 He made narrow windows high up in the temple walls. 5 Against the walls of the main hall and inner sanctuary he built a structure around the building, in which there were side rooms. 6 The lowest floor was five cubits wide, the middle floor six cubits and the third floor seven. He made offset ledges around the outside of the temple so that nothing would be inserted into the temple walls. 7 In building the temple, only blocks dressed at the quarry were used, and no hammer, chisel or any other iron tool was heard at the temple site while it was being built. 8 The entrance to the lowest floor was on the south side of the temple; a stairway led up to the middle level and from there to the third. 9 So he built the temple and completed it, roofing it with beams and cedar planks. 10 And he built the side rooms all along the temple. The height of each was five cubits, and they were attached to the temple by beams of cedar. 11 The word of the Lord came to Solomon: 12 “As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, observe my laws and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father. 13 And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel.”
The Book of Kings gives us very specific information about the building of the temple. The reign of Solomon is generally believed to have been from 961 to 921 BC which means the construction of the temple began in 957 BC. However, these dates don’t match with what we know about the Exodus from outside the Bible so probably the 480 years mentioned in the first verse is symbolic. It may come from taking the number 40, which represents a generation, and multiplying it by 12 for the 12 tribes of Israel. The Book of Kings gives us very specific information about the building of the temple. The reign of Solomon is generally believed to have been from 961 to 921 BC which means the construction of the temple began in 957 BC. However, these dates don’t match with what we know about the Exodus from outside the Bible so probably the 480 years mentioned in the first verse is symbolic. It may come from taking the number 40, which represents a generation, and multiplying it by 12 for the 12 tribes of Israel.
In one sense, the building of the temple can be viewed as the final step in Israel’s journey of the Exodus to freedom. The very fact that the authors spend so much space on its design and take so much care to situate the temple chronologically shows us how central it is to Israel’s identity and history. But, when you start looking at the actual details of the building, you quickly realize it was not very big – only about the size of an average to small church. Like other temples in the region, it was a rectangle, about 31.5 meters long by 9 meters wide and 13.5 meters high. It was divided into three parts: the vestibule or entrance hall; the main hall; and the inner sanctuary or Holy of Holies. Spanning the outside was a strange structure with side areas, possibly for storage. We must also remember that,unlike our churches, the temple was not built to house a congregation since worshippers were supposed to stay outside.In one sense, the building of the temple can be viewed as the final step in Israel’s journey of the Exodus to freedom. The very fact that the authors spend so much space on its design and take so much care to situate the temple chronologically shows us how central it is to Israel’s identity and history. But, when you start looking at the actual details of the building, you quickly realize it was not very big – only about the size of an average to small church. Like other temples in the region, it was a rectangle, about 31.5 meters long by 9 meters wide and 13.5 meters high. It was divided into three parts: the vestibule or entrance hall; the main hall; and the inner sanctuary or Holy of Holies. Spanning the outside was a strange structure with side areas, possibly for storage. We must also remember that,unlike our churches, the temple was not built to house a congregation since worshippers were supposed to stay outside.
Things change suddenly in verses 11 to 13 for the Word of the Lord, last heard of in 2 Samuel 24, comes to Solomon for the first time. We are not told how it comes to him: through a prophet or directly to the king. However, it brings two warnings, one concerning the temple and the other directly to Solomon. Worshiping at the temple is a wonderful thing but it must never become a substitute for obeying God’s laws. It symbolizes God’s love for his people and his presence among them but throughout the Old Testament, the Prophets will insist that temple worship is no substitute for living a good life. The temple, like the Law, is a means to an end – to create a holy a faithful people – and not an end in itself. If the people and/or its rulers fail to udnderstand this then the future will not be a happy one. Things change suddenly in verses 11 to 13 for the Word of the Lord, last heard of in 2 Samuel 24, comes to Solomon for the first time. We are not told how it comes to him: through a prophet or directly to the king. However, it brings two warnings, one concerning the temple and the other directly to Solomon. Worshiping at the temple is a wonderful thing but it must never become a substitute for obeying God’s laws. It symbolizes God’s love for his people and his presence among them but throughout the Old Testament, the Prophets will insist that temple worship is no substitute for living a good life. The temple, like the Law, is a means to an end – to create a holy a faithful people – and not an end in itself. If the people and/or its rulers fail to udnderstand this then the future will not be a happy one.
Solomon thus receives a clear warning about his responsibilities to God and to his people. He must obey God and encourage his people to do likewise. If he does this then God’s promise to David of an unending dynasty will come to pass but if he fails, or if his successors fail, then the entire nation will suffer.Solomon thus receives a clear warning about his responsibilities to God and to his people. He must obey God and encourage his people to do likewise. If he does this then God’s promise to David of an unending dynasty will come to pass but if he fails, or if his successors fail, then the entire nation will suffer.
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