What does it say?
Solomon decided to build a house for God and a royal palace for himself. David his father had numbered the non-Israelites living amongst them during his unsanctioned census of the people. There were 153,600 of whom Solomon assigned 70,000 to carry loads and 80,000 to quarry stones and 3,600 to supervise the work. He also asked Huram, king of Tyre to help build the temple and his palace as he had helped build David’s house. Huram sent Huram-abi who was a skilled craftsmen. In return for the work and material, Huram asked for food. The temple was built and the inside of the temple was overlaid with pure gold. Then the temple was furnished by the magnificent craftsmanship of Huram-abi. At completion, Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and the heads of the tribes to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the ark was placed in the inner sanctuary of the house, the holy of holies. A feast was eaten, singers sang, instruments were played and the cloud filled the sanctuary.
What does it mean?
David his father had recently built a house for himself with the help of Huram the king of Tyre. It seems that David’s house was not good enough for Solomon. David had prepared for the building of the temple and Solomon went forth with this but also built a palace for himself. Also, it was not Israel who built the temple but a foreign king and non-Israelite slaves. Once completed, these foreigners would not be allowed into the temple that they actually built. The materials for the building, namely the timber, was provided by Huram and the craftsmanship by Huram-abi. A celebration occurred when the ark of the covenant was brought into the temple and was placed where no one could see it. The ark contained nothing but the two tablets which Moses put there at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the sons of Israel. On the tablets are written The Ten Commandments. I think that it should be noted that from the moment that the ark was placed into the temple, the kings of Israel began turning away from the covenant.
What shall I do?
I shall love my neighbor as myself. Jesus has given to us understanding that everyone that we come in contact with is our neighbor; therefore, I shall not mistreat my neighbor. I shall not hide the covenant of the Lord but shall proclaim the new covenant to all people. Jesus said to Nicodemus, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.” (Jn. 3:14) I shall not seek my own glory but that of the Lord Jesus Christ, for he alone is king of heaven and earth.
