1 KINGS 7
Read 1 Kings 7:1-51
The previous chapter concentrated on the external aspects of the temple building. In this chapter from Verse 13 we have a lot of detail on the interior decoration. Sandwiched between the external and internal décor of the temple we have verses 1-12 which describe Solomon’s other building projects; his palace, colonnade, throne room, hall of justice etc. Jerusalem at this time must have been one big building site. It is noticeable that the description of the temple is quite lengthy and, in contrast, all the other buildings are dashed off in twelve verses. I think this is quite deliberate on the part of the writer. We have lots of measurements here and it is clear that the government and royal buildings are dwarfed by the sheer size and magnificence of the temple. With the much more detailed description of the temple and its fixtures and fittings I think the point being made is that the temple and the worship of God (and remember that we saw that Solomon regarded the temple fixtures and fittings as being part of the worship of God in the previous chapter) is more important than the more functional buildings of government and the royal household.
We see once again that the writer of 1 Kings delights in detail. To our minds all this stuff about the interior decoration of the temple is not very interesting, but to him it is very important. 2 Chronicles Chapters 3 and 4 cover much the same ground but the description is a lot more compact, forty verses rather than the sixty-seven we have in 1 Kings Chapters 6 and 7. Why is he so interested in this detail? There is a story of a craftsman who was doing detailed and intricate restoration work in one of the country’s grand cathedrals. One day a tourist noticed this craftsman doing some meticulous work high up near the ceiling, focussing all his attention on this area way up top and out of sight of any of the worshippers. So the tourist asked, ‘Why are you being so precise, no-one can see all that detail from the ground?’ The craftsman relied, ‘God can!’
What we see in these chapters about the building of the temple is that every aspect of its construction is an act of devotion towards God. Solomon, in his diplomatic relationships with neighbouring countries, acquired the best materials for God’s house. The builders and artists devoted themselves to producing exquisite works of art to glorify God in the furniture of the temple. And even the detailed description of the finished building, interior and exterior, by the writer of 1 Kings is in itself an act of devotion, of worship to God.
Nothing is too good or too well done for the wonderful God that we have who has done so much for us. He gave everything for us, even his own son the Lord, Jesus Christ. Surely all that we do for him should be the best possible that we can give, whatever that may be.