First Kings chapter six began by saying that Solomon started to build the temple for God 480 years after the exodus. We were told earlier that the woods for the building were provided by Hiram, the king of Tyre. From verses 14-28, the author then described the interior of the temple. After briefly saying that the walls were covered with cedar panels and the floor was laid with cypress, he went on to describe the Holy of holies or the most holy place. It was a cube of 30 feet in length, breadth, and height located at the rear third of the temple. This would be the most important part of the building where the Ark of the covenant would be housed. Like the rest of the interior, this cube was overlaid with gold.
Verses 23-28 describe the construction
of the two cherubim. Like the cherubim that God had sent to guard the garden of
Eden after the fall of man, Solomon also had two cherubim, each fifteen feet
high constructed, as if to guard the Holy of holies. These cherubim were
overlaid with gold. Their wings were constructed outspread with the tips of one
cherub touching the tips of the wings of the other. The purpose was to emphasize
the presence of the Holy God in the temple where the Ark would be placed. Then
verses 29-36 describe the interior of the other two-thirds of the building. It
was also overlaid with gold. On the walls and the inner walls were carvings of
cherubim, palm trees, and budding flowers. As the building was for God, Solomon
sought to make it as attractive as he knew how.
In verses 37-38, we learn that the temple was built approximately in seven and a half years. This would become the most important building Solomon ever built. Unfortunately, it was destroyed by the Babylonians during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar in the period of the exile. But it was also the time that the Israelites would rebuild it after the exile. It was a symbol of Israel’s relationship with God, for worship was the central activity of the life of the nation.
Solomon had certainly built a beautiful temple for God. His desire was worthy of our admiration. Today we too want to build beautiful churches and design great programs to honor God. However, whatever we do, we must never shift our attention from God to the buildings or the programs we will design. God must always remain the central focus in our lives. We must never make the peripherals our focus. Hence, we must make God the main focus of our lives. Be sure to make the main thing the main thing in life!
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