“He also made the pots and shovels and sprinkling bowls. So Huram finished the work that he had undertaken for King Solomon in the temple of God.”
~ 2 Chronicles 4:11
Hi James and Ellen,
What do you hope to have in your own house when you get big? Your ma has your house fixed up nice. Your ma has a couch, a TV, a table and chairs, etc. Your room has a bed and a dresser. You have in your room toys that you can play with and books that you can read. What is a church? A church is thought of as being God’s house. A church is a place where guys, gals and kids meet together with other guys, gals and kids. Why do guys, gals and kids want to go to a church? Guys, gals and kids can in a church sing together, pray together and listen together as the Bible is expounded. What are guys, gals and kids doing when they sing together, pray together and listen together to what the Bible says? These guys, gals and kids are worshipping God. God wants every guy, gal and kid who has become a Jesus-follower to worship Him through his or her life. A guy, gal or kid does not have to go to a church to pray or sing or listen to a preacher to hear what God is saying. What are you doing each time when you talk to and listen to God – which is praying? You are worshipping God. What are you doing each time when you sing a song or listen to a song which celebrates Who God is and what He has done? You are worshipping God. What are you doing each time when you read or study God’s Word – the Bible? You are worshipping God. God expects every guy, gal and kid who He specially chose/elected to be a Jesus-follower to reflect His glory back to Him by worshipping Him through responding to His voice, through singing a joyful sound and through witnessing His presence in everything.
If you were to build a house for God where God would live, how would you have the house built? Would the house look like the house in which you are living in now? What would you put in the house? God asked nearly 3,000 years ago for a special place to be built where He could have His presence reside. Solomon would build this exclusive place for God. Do you remember Solomon? God granted Solomon’s appeal to become one of the wisest guys – if not the wisest guy, to ever live on planet Earth. Solomon became king when his dad – King David, died. During his forty year tenure as a king, Solomon experienced peace among the multitude of guys and gals who he reigned over and peace in the assorted territories that he governed. Solomon accrued more money and more things than anyone else had on planet Earth. Solomon had an exceptionally beautiful palace constructed in which he would live. Solomon – in 2 Chronicles 4, is following up his dad’s request that he build a magnificent temple for God’s presence to dwell. The temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem was a resplendent edifice for the inhabiting of God’s presence. Solomon would have a guy by the name of Huram make the various items which God wanted in the place where He would have His presence reside. God wanted a thirty foot long, thirty foot wide and fifteen foot high altar made. This altar was a whole lot bigger than the total square footage of your house’s living room and dining room combined. God wanted a fifteen foot across and seven and a half foot deep tub made. This tub was larger than some swimming pools. God wanted twelve bulls to be made out of gold to be put under the tub. The gold bulls represented Israel’s twelve tribal clans. God wanted three of the gold bulls facing to the east, three of the gold bulls facing to the north, three of the gold bulls facing to the west and three of the gold bulls facing to the south. God wanted ten gold lampstands made. God wanted five of these gold lampstands placed on the north side in the temple’s outer court and five of the gold lampstands placed on the south side in the temple’s outer court. God wanted ten gold basins made. God wanted five of these gold basins put on the north side in the temple’s outer court and five of the gold basins put on the south side in the temple’s outer court. The priests were to wash themselves in these gold basins before they made an offering to God. God wanted pots, shovels and a hundred sprinkling bowls made which the priests were to use when they made offerings to God. Some of those things which God had Solomon have Huram make for His special place where His presence would be were made out of gold while some of the other things where made out of bronze. God wanted the place where He would centralize His presence to be an incomparably awesome holy place.
As you journey here and there through the Bible with your grandpaa, you are going to learn a lot about God’s temple. You have learned today some about the temple’s outer court. You will learn at other times things about God’s temple’s inner court. The chronicler – which is what the guy is called who wrote the two Chronicle Books, says in verse 11“He also made the pots and shovels and sprinkling bowls. So Huram finished the work that he had undertaken for King Solomon in the temple of God:” Do you know what happened to God’s temple? An enemy of God’s specially chosen people – the Babylonians, captured Jerusalem less than four hundred years later. They looted God’s temple taking with them when they went back to Babylon the things that Solomon had Huram make. When your grandmaa and grandpaa moved into the first house where they lived in when they moved to Guatemala, your grandmaa and grandpaa did not know that they really needed to always have somebody staying in their house or thieves would get inside and take their things. Ten days after your grandmaa and grandpaa moved into their house a guy and a gal broke into their house and stole some of their things. Even though your grandmaa and grandpaa were angry that thieves took personal things that could never ever be replaced, your grandmaa and grandpaa knew that everything that they had was God’s. God also reminded your grandmaa and grandpaa that material items can be at any time stolen from where they are living but that His presence can never be taken at any time from their hearts.
2 Chronicles 4 (29)