The House Of The Lord

What we know of the first temple, of which Solomon helped orchestrate, is that it was beautiful and made this way for the glorifying of God. Not only was it made so perfectly, even with the limited amount of technology back then. However, what people do not realize that there were hammers, axes, and other tools of iron back in his time. However, these tools were used before the house was put together, and only in the preparation to that point. We can know this for a fact, for it reads in 1 Kings 6, that ¹“the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.” (1 Kings 6:7) Every part of this was beautiful. Even the carvings that were done all throughout were exquisite in their designs. In sayings this, it is recorded that ¹“for the entering of the oracle he made doors of olive tree: the lintel and side posts were a fifth part of the wall. The two doors also were of olive tree; and he carved upon them carvings of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold, and spread gold upon the cherubims, and upon the palm trees. So also made he for the door of the temple posts of olive tree, a fourth part of the wall. And the two doors were of fir tree: the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding. And he carved thereon cherubims and palm trees and open flowers: and covered them with gold fitted upon the carved work.” (1 Kings 6:31-35) Isn’t this so beautiful? You would know this if you read this chapter, while imaging you were there in person.

We know that the house of the Lord was where the Lord, our God’s presence would be, even in the holy of holies. Every sacrifice would be offered up to God, who saves us from our sins. They needed mercy because of all the sins the people committed, and these animal sacrifices were the only way they knew, in order to gain God’s forgiveness. What they didn’t realize is that soon the Messiah would come, who is Jesus Christ, our Lord. He would be the last lamb to be slaughtered for the sins of the world. Even God’s presence who filled the temple would now be extended everyone who believes in Jesus Christ as Lord and walks in His statutes. At the time of the temple, it was said that ¹“the word of the Lord came to Solomon, saying, concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father: And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel. So Solomon built the house, and finished it.” (1 Kings 6:11-14) So is what is spoken here still relevant for us now? Yes, it is. My friends, although God is not bound in a single place on earth, it is still our duty to walk in His statutes, execute his righteous judgments, and keep the commands. If we walk in the light of Jesus, then the Lord will dwell with us, like He once did in that house. God will forsake those His people. That being the Jews and the Gentiles. So go forth and carry out what God would desire to do in your life. Come humbly before God and allow him to do a work in your life. Then He will always be with you.

Let us pray:
Oh Lord, I pray that people will start to remember You in their everyday life. That they will not just remember You while they are at church, but during the week also. Then, will they desire to do what is right and not what the flesh desires instead. Lord, if people would simply put You first in their lives, then there would be ample time for reading and studying the Bible each day. Prayer would become oh so important, while serving You would be who they are. Things like watching TV and movies, playing video games, messing around on our computer, phones or tablets, would be put aside for You. I know that this sounds like a huge change of pace for most people, but in reality, what people are putting ahead of You are their idols. People may put up a really good front during church service, but if our everyday lives do not showcase a renewed life, then we are not born again. Instead, we have learned to become superficial around certain people, which is not good at all. God, if people desire to be saved, then they must remember to keep Your commandments. Which is to love You with all their heart, mind, and strength and our neighbor as ourselves. This is not a once a week thing only, but a lifestyle change for Christ. Lord, how I love You. You are the apple of my eye and I am anxious for my bride to return. If there is anything that I am doing that is wrong, please correct me now. All I desire to live my whole life to follow You. I am nothing without Your presence, but I am able to achieve much when You are with me. And to everything that I am able to accomplish, I give You the glory. I love You, Lord. To live each day for You is what I long to do when I wake from sleep. There is more joy in serving You then not. This I pray, in Your mighty Name, Jesus. Amen.

Let us read the Bible:
Note: Any Numbered References, found above, are listed below.

1 Kings 6

¹1 Kings 6 (KJV)
1 And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord.
2 And the house which king Solomon built for the Lord, the length thereof was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits.
3 And the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was the length thereof, according to the breadth of the house; and ten cubits was the breadth thereof before the house.
4 And for the house he made windows of narrow lights.
5 And against the wall of the house he built chambers round about, against the walls of the house round about, both of the temple and of the oracle: and he made chambers round about:
6 The nethermost chamber was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad: for without in the wall of the house he made narrowed rests round about, that the beams should not be fastened in the walls of the house.
7 And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.
8 The door for the middle chamber was in the right side of the house: and they went up with winding stairs into the middle chamber, and out of the middle into the third.
9 So he built the house, and finished it; and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar.
10 And then he built chambers against all the house, five cubits high: and they rested on the house with timber of cedar.
11 And the word of the Lord came to Solomon, saying,
12 Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father:
13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.
14 So Solomon built the house, and finished it.
15 And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar, both the floor of the house, and the walls of the ceiling: and he covered them on the inside with wood, and covered the floor of the house with planks of fir.
16 And he built twenty cubits on the sides of the house, both the floor and the walls with boards of cedar: he even built them for it within, even for the oracle, even for the most holy place.
17 And the house, that is, the temple before it, was forty cubits long.
18 And the cedar of the house within was carved with knops and open flowers: all was cedar; there was no stone seen.
19 And the oracle he prepared in the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the Lord.
20 And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof: and he overlaid it with pure gold; and so covered the altar which was of cedar.
21 So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold: and he made a partition by the chains of gold before the oracle; and he overlaid it with gold.
22 And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house: also the whole altar that was by the oracle he overlaid with gold.
23 And within the oracle he made two cherubims of olive tree, each ten cubits high.
24 And five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub: from the uttermost part of the one wing unto the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits.
25 And the other cherub was ten cubits: both the cherubims were of one measure and one size.
26 The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it of the other cherub.
27 And he set the cherubims within the inner house: and they stretched forth the wings of the cherubims, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house.
28 And he overlaid the cherubims with gold.
29 And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, within and without.
30 And the floors of the house he overlaid with gold, within and without.
31 And for the entering of the oracle he made doors of olive tree: the lintel and side posts were a fifth part of the wall.
32 The two doors also were of olive tree; and he carved upon them carvings of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold, and spread gold upon the cherubims, and upon the palm trees.
33 So also made he for the door of the temple posts of olive tree, a fourth part of the wall.
34 And the two doors were of fir tree: the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding.
35 And he carved thereon cherubims and palm trees and open flowers: and covered them with gold fitted upon the carved work.
36 And he built the inner court with three rows of hewed stone, and a row of cedar beams.
37 In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the Lord laid, in the month Zif:
38 And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it.