1 Kings 7-9
Today we get:
- Solomon builds his own house
- Solomon finishes (some more) the temple
- The temple is consecrated
- Solomon has another dream
1 Kings 7
1 But Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house.
Solomon's massive building projects lasted for most of his tenure as king.
2 He built also the house of the forest of Lebanon; the length thereof was an hundred cubits, and the breadth thereof fifty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars.
That's a big palace. 100 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, 30 cubits tall. The volume of Solomon's house was 150,000 cubits square.
Think back to yesterday's reading, in 1 Kings 6:2 we get the size of the temple. 60 cubits long, 20 cubits wide, 30 cubits tall. The volume of the House of the LORD was 36,000. Solomon's house was about 4 times the volume of the LORD's. If it's just floorspace, Solomon's was 5,000 square cubits. The LORD's temple was 1,200 square cubits. Solomon really liked himself.
6 And he made a porch of pillars; the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth thereof thirty cubits: and the porch was before them: and the other pillars and the thick beam were before them.
Wow, that's a nice deck. 1,500 square cubits, I bet he could put a really nice bbq grill on that thing.
7 Then he made a porch for the throne where he might judge, even the porch of judgment: and it was covered with cedar from one side of the floor to the other.
So it was a multi-level deck, with the throne of pretension (sorry judgment) on it.
9 All these were of costly stones, according to the measures of hewed stones, sawed with saws, within and without, even from the foundation unto the coping, and so on the outside toward the great court.
So, it was probably marble. That's nicer than a brick deck.
Then, to do the gold and metal work, Solomon called for Hiram of Tyre. Any former masons wanna talk about Hiram Abiff?
Hiram makes: 2 pillars, Jachin and Boaz; the molten sea; lavers; shovels; 12 oxen; 400 pomegranates; and all kinds of things for Solomon's house too.
The molten sea.
Many people like to use this verse to claim that the Bible (KJV1611) is wrong. And we know that the inerrant Word of God is either completely inerrant, or it isn't. Then if you start saying that it's wrong, but only parts of it are wrong, you come to a slippery slope where you start throwing out parts of the bible and who knows where you'll end up with.
So, let's look at the verse.
23 And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.
Everyone in school is taught that Pi=3.14. We are also taught that Pi * diameter=the circumference of a circle.
In 1 Kings 7:23 we are presented with a diameter of 10 and a circumference of 30. Thus making Pi exactly 3. Well, if Pi were 3.14, then the distance around the molten sea would be 31.4 cubits, instead of 30.
Well, lets look at this verse.
26 And it was an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies: it contained two thousand baths.
So if it's a hand breadth thick, and the measurement of the diameter is from the outside, it would make the inside diameter be 2 hand breadth's short of a cubit. Dividing the circumference of 30 by 3.14 gives 9.55 (for diameter). The temple cubit was 437.6 mm, the remaining .45 of a cubit would be roughly 196 mm. Since a mm equals 0.03937 of an inch. That distance is only 7 and 3/4 inches. Which is easily the breadth of two hands. Therefore, any person who claims that the Bible is wrong based on 1 Kings 7:23 claiming that PI is 3, just doesn't know how to do math!
51 So was ended all the work that king Solomon made for the house of the LORD. And Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated; even the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, did he put among the treasures of the house of the LORD.
PRAISE JESUS!!! He now has a home on earth, although it's not as big as Solomon's home, but then, He's got the whole of heaven if he wants it. I'm sure His house up there is WAY bigger than Solomon's!
1 Kings 8
1 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion.
Time to bring God to His new house.
3 And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark.
4 And they brought up the ark of the LORD, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, even those did the priests and the Levites bring up.
So now the only remaining employed members of the Levites was the Kohanim. The Gerson and Merari are now unemployed as their job was to transport the pieces of the tentbernacle. Since the LORD now had a house and not a tent, they lost their jobs!
5 And king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel, that were assembled unto him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen, that could not be told nor numbered for multitude.
They apparently greased the road with the blood of sacrifices. The streets would have ran red with the blood of sacrifice. PRAISE JESUS!!!
9 There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.
Who took the rest of the stuff from the ark?
There was manna and also Aaron's staff put inside.
10 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD,
God likes to come down in smoke.
12 Then spake Solomon, The LORD said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.
Solomon tells the cloud how he built a house for Him. He then reminds the smoke and the people about God bringing them out of Egypt. Then he starts flattering God.
23 And he said, LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart:
He reiterates that the LORD is the only God.
33 When thy people Israel be smitten down before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and shall turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray, and make supplication unto thee in this house:
34 Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest unto their fathers.
Remember, God doesn't forgive people while they are sinning, he forgives after they are done. Hence the word AGAIN.
Solomon claims the temple is for ALL people to come to worship the LORD.
43 Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for: that all people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by thy name.
God you are great, everyone will want to worship you, did I mention I built the house for you?
48 And so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name:
When the people are tired of being captives, they will return, and they'll come to YOU, God, and they'll come to this house, the house of the LORD, that I, Solomon, built for you.
57 The LORD our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us:
Give it time.
60 That all the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God, and that there is none else.
As people stop believing in other gods, they die. The last remaining one is the LORD.
63 And Solomon offered a sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered unto the LORD, two and twenty thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of the LORD.
22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep were killed to dedicate the temple. There was so many killed that they couldn't kill them at the altar, but had to set up another altar on the LORD's porch.
65 And at that time Solomon held a feast, and all Israel with him, a great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt, before the LORD our God, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days.
Yes, 7 + 7=14, see the Bible DOES get math correct!
1 Kings 9
The LORD appears to Solomon, again.
3 And the LORD said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.
4 And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments:
5 Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.
Keep His commandments and statues and judgments, and the LORD will establish your kingdom for ever. One lifetime of keeping His commandments, and forever his line will be king. Solomon being the wisest man ever shouldn't have much problem with this... let's wait and see.
If you don't!
7 Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people:
How come modern christians never perceive a righteous threat? They only think the worst that God will do is send them to hell. No folks, if you don't make God the priority in your life, THIS LIFE will also be hell, but the next will be FOREVER!!!
Later, Solomon gave Hiram the King of Tyre, not Hiram Abiff, 20 cities, which Hiram didn't like.
So, for some reason, Hiram then gave Solomon more gold.
25 And three times in a year did Solomon offer burnt offerings and peace offerings upon the altar which he built unto the LORD, and he burnt incense upon the altar that was before the LORD. So he finished the house.
Solomon went to church three times a year. He's 50% better than C & E christians.
27 And Hiram sent in the navy his servants, shipmen that had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon.
28 And they came to Ophir, and fetched from thence gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to king Solomon.
Nobody knows where Ophir is.
Some people think it's Atlantis; some think India; some think Australia; some people think it's the New World (Brazil). All we do know is they had some gold.
So what have we learned today?
1. Solomon's house was bigger than God's.
2. PI in the Bible is the same as PI for Atheists!
3. Atlantis may or may not have existed.
YIC
V