“As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, carry out my regulations and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father.”
~ 1 Kings 6:12
Hi James and Ellen,
What do you hope to be doing when you are as old as your dad and ma? Would you like to be an architect when you are as old as your dad and ma? Would you like to be a builder when you are as old as your dad and ma? Do you like to design buildings? Do you like to draw blueprints? Because of the blood that David had on his hands, God would not let David build in the city of Jerusalem a resplendent temple in which His presence would reside with His specially chosen guy and gals. David passed on to Solomon – who was his kid, the blueprint that he drew up to use for the construction of a very special, unique temple. Solomon had construction begin almost 3000 years ago on the magnificent temple. It would take seven years to complete the construction of the absolutely stunning temple in which God’s presence would reside among His specially chosen guys and gals. An ornate palace was then built next to this temple. It took thirteen years to build a lavish palace for Solomon. The beautiful temple would be a glorified chapel for Solomon – who was the third king to rule over God’s specially chosen guys and gals who were living in the land that God gave them to always to have to live in as their very own land if . . . when Solomon began the construction of the extraordinarily exquisite temple, Solomon had already ruled as king over God’s specially chosen guys and gals for four years. Solomon would end up ruling as king over God’s specially chosen guys and gals for forty years. The floor plan for the awestriking temple – which would become known as Solomon’s Temple or the Temple of God, was very similar to the sanctuary floor plan that guys from the Semite people group used to build their temples. Semite people group’s guys and gals originated from the family line of Shem. Shem was one of Noah’s kids. A tripartite design became popular for the designing of temples in the countries were Semite people group’s guys and gals lived. A Semite people group’s temple would have a portico, main hall, and inner sanctuary. Solomon’s Temple or the Temple of God faced east. Solomon’s Temple or the Temple of God was ninety feet long and thirty feet wide. 1 Kings 6 fills in the design or the blueprint details of Solomon’s Temple or the Temple of God.
Even though Solomon’s Temple or the Temple of God was built with three floors, from blocks of rock that were carefully hammered and chiseled to size at a quarry before being taken to the temple site and had elaborate carvings throughout the temple, your grandpaa wonders why it took Solomon’s workers seven years to complete his temple or the Temple of God. The host churches for the Programa de Educación Bíblica (Bible Education Program) in Guatemala – which were in Xalbal and in Nueva Esperanza, have more square footage in their churches than what was in Solomon’s Temple or in the Temple of God. The interior walls of Solomon’s temple or the Temple of God were lined with planks of cedar and the floor of the temple were covered with planks of pine. The temple’s main hall was sixty feet long by sixty feet wide while the temple’s inner sanctuary was thirty feet long by thirty feet wide. The walls of the inner sanctuary of the temple were covered with pure gold. The inner sanctuary had two cherubim – that were carved from olive wood and were overlaid with pure gold, placed in it – wing tip to wing tip. The extensive use of gold in the temple was to symbolize God’s glory. Beautiful trees and flowers were carved into the moldings, in the doors and on the walls to symbolize the innocent beauty of the Garden of Eden enjoying complete peace on planet Earth before sin interrupted everything. There were three definable areas in the temple that Solomon had constructed. These three areas were known as the outer courtyard, the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. These areas could be equated to a Semite sanctuary’s portico, main hall and inner hall. When Solomon had guys begin the construction of his temple – which was really the Temple of God, God assured Solomon in a clear voice that if Solomon kept on doing the right thing to do that He would do what verse 12 says, ““As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, carry out my regulations and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father.” God would go on to say that He would always live among His specially chosen guys and gals – that He would never abandon them if they continued to do what Solomon was doing as he carried out His worship laws, as he obeyed His expectations, as he followed His regulations and as he conformed to do His will.
Building a structure takes time. A blueprint for a structure starts with a blank piece of a specific kind of paper. A finished blueprint does not make for a completed structure. A blueprint is the resource tool for a construction boss to oversee every single aspect for the completion of the building of a structure. Having a completed structure has absolutely no value if it is not used for what it was designed by an architect in his or her blueprint to be used for once the structure is completed. God has personally designed and drawn out an exclusive blueprint in every single kid who He has born on planet Earth. Every kid who is born on planet Earth has been uniquely designed by God to reflect His glory back to Him. God knows that the lifetime of kid will be the length of time that it will take for Him to finish the kid as one of His construction projects. The bodies of guys, gals and kids are God’s main halls for other guys, gals and kids to witness that His presence is living in their hearts. God – as God the Spirit, uses the hearts of guys, gals and kids as His sanctuary. How thankful are you for the special way that God has perfectly designed you? How thankful are you that God never stops surrounding you with Himself and using your bodies as His residence?
1 Kings 6 (577)